The cast of “Witness” has a few final run throughs of practice before it is the day of the play. Photo provided by: Beth Jackson

By Isabelle Miller

For the last 35 years the Plymouth High School Theater Department has been performing student written plays during the winter months.

During second trimester the advanced acting class, consisting of fourteen students, write one monologue and one multi-character scene, and vote on their favorites to decide which go into the show. This year’s theme is Witness, and the scenes are all based upon all the funny, sad, weird, interesting, and horrible things that they have witnessed as high school students. The students spend the whole trimester preparing for the show in February, and put in hours of work that lead up to two nights of performances. But just as important as the performances, are the actors who participate in them. And how much do we really know about these actors?

This year’s theme is Witness, and the scenes are all based upon all the funny, sad, weird, interesting, and horrible things that they have witnessed as high school students. Photo provided by: Elizabeth Jackson.

Almost all of the actors who perform in the winter play, are very experienced. To join the advanced acting class, actors must take two trimesters of beginning acting before requesting to join the class. Some students, such as seniors Markee Farler-Tener and Shelby Pratt have been in theater all four years of high school. These students love what they do, and enjoy performing on stage. For Pratt, her favorite thing about performing is “[their] job, and [it’s] a hard job. So much could go wrong, once we step up and put ourselves out there. But when we do, magic happens.”

Acting is an experience that can change a lifetime. Student actors gain experience in public speaking, self-confidence, and can bring them out of their comfort zones, all important skills that will be needed in the workplace. Senior Blake Milliser plans on using his acting skills to get an internship as a Disney Parks character, and Pratt plans on using her acting skills to help her in everyday situations. But as for one’s high school experience, that can be heavily impacted by the activities, such as theater, that they participate in. Both Stein and Farler-Tener agree that taking part in theater has given them more confidence and has made them more “people person[s].”

The cast and crew drew graffiti to represent the things they have witnessed. Photo provided by: Elizabeth Jackson.

For many acting students, being a part of a cast is like being part of a family. Farler-Tener says, “I love my fellow classmates, we are all very close. I couldn’t ask for a better group of people to be doing this play with me.” The bond between the cast is one that is based upon the mutual love for performing and the amount of time they  spend together preparing for the show.

Overall, acting is a fulfilling and rewarding pastime that has the power to change the lives of student actors, and can give a sense of family to the students who participate.