The one place in high school where you were EXPECTED to not be yourself. If you found yourself on stage more than once in high school you can probably relate to these things.
1. That whole “fine arts credit” thing didn’t matter to you.
While most kids were freaking out at the end of their senior year because somehow in four years they STILL had managed not to get their fine arts credit to graduate, you had gotten yours before the end of the first semester of freshman year. And even if you weren’t in that show, you were in at least six other shows by the end of your junior year.
2. You were genuinely shocked when people went to the "sports" instead of your play.
The basketball tournament lasts THREE DAYS - and so does your show! On the same weekend! Surely people would rather watch their peers pretend to be someone else for two hours… Right?
3. You were on campus from 7:55 am - 9:30 pm Monday through Friday.
Somehow your classmates were getting home at 3:30 and were studying and having social lives while you worked on making that stage slap look JUST right. 78th time is the charm!
4. You used the “I had rehearsal” excuse to get out of doing homework.
It usually didn’t work, but you still tried nonetheless. (But sometimes you had that one teacher that got it. Shout out to my freshman year Physical Science teacher - you rock.)
5. You had a crush on the actor who played your character’s romantic interest.
You know they didn’t choose this role...but this is FATE! God placed you in these roles so Bob could see just how well you can recite that line and flutter your eyelashes at the same time.
6. At least one of your friends was gay.
I mean, not to be stereotypical, but you know it’s true.
7. You’ve sat in a Waffle House booth at 12:00 am in a t-shirt and a full face of stage makeup.
You just performed three nights in a row...you’re not about to use up what little energy you have left to scrub off all those age lines, so you just eat your chocolate chip waffle and pretend like the people three booths down aren’t staring at you the entire time.
8. You know that you meet the BEST PEOPLE by doing shows.
After being around people for 200+ hours over a span of two months, you get close to people. You learn people’s quirks and what makes them unique and you LOVE them for it.
(That'sbaby me in the braces and gray jacket! Okay, freshman year me. Still a baby, though. )(Also the best cast I've ever performed with.) (Also, everyone in that picture is going to be real mad at me for using it, but that won't stop me.)
P.S. If you’re still in high school and have never done a play/musical - go audition for one. It will change your entire outlook on high school. I promise.
