Growing up there are many factors that can influence the individual we become, but nothing will ever compare to the life lasting impact that my high school theatre experience had on me. I would not be the person that I am today if I did not sign up for musical theatre my freshman year of high school.
Through theatre I found a safe, nurturing community, a space where I could grow and make the most incredible friendships. I think about where I started prior to my journey in theatre; I was less confident, and I held back a potential that at the time I did not know existed. Yet once I truly began the process and formed an incredible relationship with my director, things began to change.
From the perspective of someone who has never participated in theatre before, all they are able to see is the final product - the lights, stage, acting, singing, dancing, costuming, hair and makeup. While, yes, the actual performance is one of the most incredible and indescribable feelings for anyone who has experienced it themselves, the most crucial components are all of the moments that lead up to the actual show.
Months prior to the performance, hours upon hours are spent each week in rehearsals learning lines, staging scenes, practicing choreography, figuring out harmonies and sometimes even goofing around. Throughout high school I attended classes from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., and then would stay after school for rehearsal, sometimes even as late as 10:00 or 11:00 p.m. on some nights. Spending around seven hours each day after school in a room rehearsing with my castmates are some of my best memories from high school. When you spend so many hours a week with individuals, you cannot help but to create the best friendships. You genuinely open yourself up when becoming another character or connecting with a story line and every person who’s involved in the production is there by your side through the entire experience. Also, you get to a point where you go a little crazy after so many run-throughs that joking around and goofing off are also part of the bonding experience. There is something about the rehearsal environment that allows your true self to come out and everyone gets to see one another for who they really are; there are no worries or judgments made.
Before most rehearsals we would either do improv games to warm up or do an activity where we discussed the storyline or different themes of the show. This allowed us to relate the show to our own lives and provide ourselves with a purpose for every action or thought we had on stage, whether you were in the ensemble or a lead character. Doing this work to connect with your character allows you to find your purpose within the story and the show. Additionally, developing your character can even help you realize things about yourself and help you cultivate who you are as a person in your own life. I don’t know what it is about the environment of theatre, but the moment I would walk into rehearsals after school, everything else going on in my life would suddenly disappear. Yes, the process of putting together a show has its own stresses and down moments, but I was always able to leave behind any stressors I was dealing with in my own life.
High school is a transition period between adolescence and adulthood. You are in the midst of growing up and learning about yourself before heading into an independent lifestyle. Spending this period of “growing up” in theatre allowed me to completely open myself up and accept myself for who I am. I learned to be silly, I learned to be confident, I learned how to present myself in front of an audience, I learned how to accept my emotions and feelings and I learned how to truly be me.
I will never forget that moment during my senior year after my final performance of "Cabaret" when my eyes welled up with tears. I recognized the significance of standing on that stage at that very instant, in stark comparison to where I stood just four years earlier. To my high school theatre program – thank you for allowing me four years to grow, learn about myself, and shape me into the person I am today.
