It has been 14 years since Woodgrove high school opened its doors and in those 14 years the theater department has expanded greatly. Woodgrove’s theater department headed by Ms. Beverly Pruzina is a program where the students can show off their creative talents, whether that be acting, singing, dancing or a trio of all three.
The students in the theater program work constantly and consistently to be able to produce shows that provide entertainment to the Woodgrove community. They have already produced “Puffs”, “Elf”, and two one act plays, called “Elephant’s Graveyard” and “Competition Piece”. They are already in the process of preparing for Alice by Heart and Grease for the spring season. The majority of their practice time takes place during their class block, however that does not leave them much time to get their lines down before they perform.
The theater program as a whole is like a family, they work together to be able to produce multiple shows every year. Senior Rachel Pruzina gave her thoughts on the importance of a family in theater. “I like the chemistry everyone has because working together is very important in theater. In order to have a great show you know you have to be friends with really anyone and it’s basically like a small family,” remarked Pruzina. Being close to their “family” helps students have confidence in their role in the show. Although it may be important to be a family in the theater, some challenges may arise with people that can cause tension among the cast. Challenges may be hard to get around, but at the end of the day theater students thrive on hearing positive remarks from their fellow classmates.
Along with the challenges that come from a group dynamic, there are sometimes personal challenges that make it hard to focus and be prepared for showtime. Junior Chris Shuffletons shared his experience “It’s particularly hard for me to find time to start memorizing because I have a quite busy schedule…It’s hard to keep a strict schedule of when I go to sleep because everything varies so much.” The problems that arise can cause stress when trying to balance theater work, schoolwork, and everyday life. Some common problems that come with the extra load of theater work could be a non-consistent sleep schedule or running out of time to get your schoolwork done. Theater students need to find the balance between theater shows and schoolwork.
Learning how to juggle everything may be stressful, but learning how to manage them and have that life skill could help with continuing a career in theater. Sophomore Lauren Pyles shares advice for balancing a schedule, “Setting aside time for both and trying not to let one affect the other, which is hard, but you know having days where it’s just learning your lines, or just schoolwork” remarked Pyles. Sectioning times in the day helps students to prioritize important commitments. Preparing for a show is often nerve wracking, but having a way to stay calm and having a schedule can really help.
The night before a show can be one of the most stressful parts of the play because students have worked for months leading up to this one night. They have to have all their lines memorized and they have to know all the notes of a song. Zander Kapsiak shares his experience of the night before a show. “I watch it a bunch of times and then look at an online script,” said Kapsiak. Looking at an online script with all of their lines helps the actor remember the parts they need to look at to make sure they have them down before the curtain opens. Taking time for themselves before a play helps relax the nerves of performing in front of a live audience. Sometimes the nerves only hit right before they perform. They take time to breathe and do things for themselves the night before to help lower their stress and nerves.
There is so much that goes on behind the scenes of theater that those who do not participate might not understand. The rigorous training process that goes on before being able to put on a show takes weeks if not months. The struggle these students go through is tough, but they get to perform and share their talents. Students may believe that it is just singing and dancing, however, to the theater cast it is so much more. For them, it is a family, and a lifestyle.
