Life’s Not Easy For Master Thespians

Mon., Dec. 1, 1997

Kevin Pacheco Cheney

Most schools have one or two a year. By some they are dreaded, others see them as a chance to strut their stuff. What many people don’t realize, though, is the complete dedication and effort it takes to produce a play.

A school production involves as much, if not more than, competition as any sport. Think about it, the suffering all starts the moment you enter auditions. In a classroom or theater, the director makes you stand up in front of people, some you know, some you’ve never seen before. Anyway, in front of these people you read, or sing if it’s a musical, lines and phrases you’ve never heard before and have no idea what they mean.

Once you’ve overcome this moment of truth, next comes the waiting. Finally, the day comes when the director has compiled a list of the best of the best: those who make it and those who don’t. Hundreds of thoughts run through your head: “Was I any good?” “Maybe I could have talked louder.” “Does the director hate me?” You scan the list looking for something that resembles your name. Aha! All of a sudden, you’re lighter than air; you look to see who else made it and then you see something that makes your day twice as good. The name of your hated mortal enemy didn’t make call backs. Oh, what a shame.

Then painstaking work of everyday practice begins. It’s not easy fitting three-hour play rehearsals into most students’ already packed schedules. I go to school from 8 to 3, rehearsal from 3 to 6 and then work from 6 to 9 p.m. I get home, do homework, sleep and have no time for “Must See TV.”

Up until a week before the performance, people are still forgetting lines, missing cues and complaining about their costumes. Then, magically, as if out of a fairy tale, it all comes together. The director for the first time, smiles.

Opening night. You get ready back stage. You’re so nervous, you’re practically wetting yourself. The sweat is running down your forehead. As the curtain opens, you begin what you’ve practiced for months. The audience’s clapping, cheering and even a few howls, make it all worth it.

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