With screams of “Attention to detail!” and “You’re golden!” ringing in our ears, we struggle to smile as wide as humanly possible and learn our choreography perfectly, hoping to produce the best show ever.
Participating in the JC musicals isn’t just an after school activity—it is a lifestyle. Besides the standard 3-5 after school rehearsals, play practice grows into a full-time commitment, especially in the weeks before the show. Saturday morning and Tuesday night rehearsals are the norm.
But somehow, it never feels like too much. Being stuck in the same room with the same group of people for over 20 hours a week may seem horrible, but when that group of people is so unique as thespians are, it’s not that bad. As cliché as it sounds, the cast of every show becomes like a family—an oversized, loud, attention-loving family.
Personally, my favorite part of the musicals has been Tuesday nights. We have standard rehearsal from 3-5, then all rush out to Wawa to grab dinner as fast as we can and still be back to rehearse from 6-9. Occasionally, these rehearsals are given a theme. To name a few, we have held ghetto night, nerd night, and diva night.
But beyond just being around 80 of your closest friends so often, one of the best parts of the plays is the product we’re working to produce. It’s incredible that the three directors, Director of Development Laura Lang, Director of Admissions Kim Brueggemann, and guidance counselor Larry Hensley are able to turn a bunch of high school kids, who often have never danced before, into skilled performers.
They help us work for two and a half months to deliver an incredible show every time. They refuse to settle for mediocrity, pushing us as hard as they can but somehow still making the entire process fun.
After school, we thespians do not have to run laps or lift weights. Instead, we learn Larryography! Larryography is a term used to describe Hensley’s choreography, which I guarantee is more fun than anything else other students do after school.
Plus, instead of jerseys, we get to wear outlandish costumes. This year alone, we had cast members dress up as cupcakes, clocks, and even cheese graters. Then again, we were putting on Beauty and the Beast.
Doing the plays has been the most fulfilling experience of my high school career. At the end of every show, I practically (and sometimes literally) cry because I know how much I’ll miss the show. There’s something about the sound of the entire cast singing and taking a bow together that is extremely moving.
It’s hard to believe that “Seussical” will be the seniors’ last show. We’ve been through eight shows together, starting off as sailors in “Anything Goes” and ending as Dr. Seuss characters in “Seussical.”
Before every performance, the cast, crew, and orchestra pit meet in the chapel to pray and allow the seniors to make speeches. Your time in the musicals flies by, and you never expect to face your last moment in chapel so soon. Naturally, we all shed many tears over the closing of our last show. But now that our experience has finally ended, we can look back with fondness and move forward, with greater talent and love for theater than ever before.