Personal Narrative: Chad From High School Theatre

I’ve adored theatre for as long as I can remember. From writing plays throughout elementary school, to being involved in Drama Club in middle school, to performing in community theatre in high school, and to visiting the theatre as often as I could from the very beginning, theatre has always been a part of my life. Every aspect of it engages me: the directors working to bring their vision of the show’s scenes, choreography, or music to life, the actors transforming into different characters through their expression of dialogue, song, or dance, the costumers and set-builders transporting the audience into the setting and time period with their artistry, the backstage tech and crew working quickly and precisely to keep the show flowing to curtain call, and the orchestra bringing the show to life through music. There is nothing like the experience of live theatre, both as a member of the audience and as a member of the cast and crew.

Ever since I can remember I have loved theatre. It’s been a constant presence, and an important touchstone, in my life. However, for as long as I’ve loved theatre, I have also been ridiculed for my enjoyment of it. As a child, my interest was tolerated as something precious, something I was bound to grow out of. My parents and teachers would sit in the audience, clapping and cheering me on, all the while thinking to themselves “I bet she’ll make a great lawyer one day.” They thought, like most of society, theatre was an unnecessary luxury; a pastime for the rich and powerful, for those who didn’t have to worry about putting food on the table, or clothes on their children’s backs. Certainly not

When your interest is as broad as theatre it’s almost impossible for your identity to not be represented. However, like many of my peers, I’ve struggled to find my identity and have floated between different adjectives for the past seven years. Luckily for me my love for Broadway guided me to a perfect show that let me know it’s okay to be confused about who I am.

As we dressed for the show, my thoughts were flooded with images and ideas. We descended the hotel stairs, hailed a taxi, and arrived at the theatre; while I remained in a pleasant daze. My first impression of the Nederlander met and exceeded all my expectations. I had envisioned an old theater, forgotten by the Broadway elite. As we walked to the door, we were able to see the wall signed by the cast and photos of the premier. The theater itself had a rundown feel to it and left you with the distinct impression that the magic was within the walls and on stage. As we entered the doors, I soaked in every thing. Our seats were located in the center, orchestra section, which gave us a perfect view of all the action.

As I sat enveloped in her story of overcoming conclusions, she taught my heart to embrace each quirky part of myself. I identified with Elle Woods’ need to prove herself. This idea of accepting individuality provided me with the courage to audition for my first show, the Arvada Center’s production of Footloose. Since that first nerve-racking, nail-biting experience, I have come to find myself through each move I dance onstage. Getting my first big role, the Dragon in a production of Shrek, I poured my heart out, knowing the people ready to judge and mock were watching. After the show, the peers who judged my intelligence approached me, saying things like, “I never knew you could sing like that.” Through performing I found myself again. I shifted back to the girl I was, the girl who cared about her morals. I want to perform, hoping to provide audience members with the ability to connect with characters who can offer them a point of realization, as Elle Woods did for me.

My mom and I were seated on red felt wooden chairs in the opera box above downstage right; basking in the anticipation of the start of the musical. The smell of the theater was musty, almost like a library. It even had those rays of dust and light that you see in old libraries. Looking onward, I saw the monitor in which Alex Lacamoire, the conductor, directs the actors and musicians. Closer to the balcony, huge metal spotlights hung, all containing the magical power to change a minimalist wooden stage into a bar, then a field, then a closed room in a restaurant, and finally the Weehawken dueling grounds. The feeling of excitement and glee was palpable. I looked at my mother, whose eyes were glued to the stage. In that dim lit arena of instruments,

This past Wednesday, I embarked with my National Honor Society on a field trip to watch the performance of a Christmas classic, Charles Dicken’s A Christmas Carol. The performance was a stage musical performed by the cast of the La Comedia dinner theatre. Being a strong performer in the theatre and theatre enthusiast myself, I was excited to watch this Christmas classic come to life on stage. As a child, I made frequent visits to La Comedia with family members, so I find myself very familiar with this theatre. I have always found a love for the atmosphere of the theatre, the food provided, and the performances presented on the stage. At La Comedia, they claim to provide ‘a taste of Broadway’, which immediately sets the standards for each production. I have very high expectations for each performance I attend and this performance of A Christmas Carol did not disappoint. The actors of La Comedia definitely do not lack extraordinary talent, and the entire theatre staff sticks to traditions they have developed over time, giving the entire setting a wonderful, traditional ambiance. The La Comedia performance of A Christmas Carol did an exquisite job of bringing this story to life while sticking to the classic tale, with the additions of great songs from the Broadway version and the overall atmosphere and service provided for an entertaining event.

Throughout my childhood and teenage years, I have searched and searched for a talent that would give me a unique identity to make me stand out from my peers. When I was five years old, I was given the chance to be in a musical in our city's community theatre, PMT. This musical was "The Wizard of Oz", and I played the role of a munchkin in the Lollipop Guild. This initially sparked a great interest in theatre, and I fell in love with acting. I had an amazing mentor for my youth acting career, the late Jack Ewing. He played Harold Hill in PMT's production of "The Music Man", while I had the opportunity to play the role of Winthrop, the young boy that helps Harold Hill become a better person. (Jack later died a year before I had the chance to play the role of Harold Hill in my high school's production of "The Music Man Jr.") When I was about nine, PMT dissolved as an organization and therefore there was no community theatre around me for years, which put a setback in my interest and talent for theatre.

Over the past 3 years at Eleanor Roosevelt Middle School I've been able to blossom into a culture of music and theater. I started choir in 6th grade, along side doing that years musical. Music and theater weren't new to me at that point, for I knew what it's like to dance to loud music in my room, and what it's like to sit through musicals and plays my older sisters did. And I was eager to star in my own musicals and concerts. That’s when "Shakespeare Comes to Calamity Creek" showed me what it's like to be in a performance, and how much work it takes outside of it. That it takes more than just the time at rehearsal to make a show great. How it takes a couple of hours just to remember lines, or how it takes a couple of rehearsals to really get

So while “Night on Broadway” might not be a play or a musical, with seven or eigt performances, elaborate costumes and sets, and a pit orchestra, the actors and directors will be working just as hard to organize a showcase that not only fundraises for the next dramatic season, but allows students to practice their numbers once more, before performing in front of judges - a crucial step in “putting yourself out there” as a

In the University of Alabama’s performance of A Chorus Line, the performers tackled this infamous piece for its dramatizations of what actors and performers endure in the line of work that is theatre. As explained by the actors in the documentary “Every Little Step”, being a performer in A Chorus Line is the ultimate dream because it was made by actors for actors. There were a few factors that made the University of Alabama’s performance stand out to me including the choreography, seeing the documentary Every Little Step before the show, and the live music.

Since I was a little girl, the lights of the stage have called me. Later on when I saw the Broadway lights I knew that those lights were destined for me, but did I have what it takes. As time went on and I began my studies, I realized that my dream wasn’t as simple as I had thought it would be.

Before the musical, academics was the only activity that people recognized me by. I did do other activities besides academics, but only my closest friends knew that I could play the piano or draw. Just like my peers, my mother didn’t even know I could sing. Consequently, the musical helped change how others saw me.

Have you ever thought about your experience at a movie theatre? Like really thought about it, broken it down? Well that's what we're going to do as I talk to you about Musicals. For as long as I can remember I have been interested in musicals.

As I sat down at dinner with my family, I attempted to research a show that I knew little about. The two-and-a-half-hour musical, “Lost in the Stars” written by Maxwell Anderson, immediately intrigued me, as musicals are my forte. After walking into a semi-crowded Royce Hall (which has been fairly empty at the various shows I have seen), I took my seat, examined the program, and buckled my seat belt for what I expected to be an amazing piece of art. Little did I realize that “musical” was the incorrect term to describe what was basically, an opera. With the substandard acting, uneventful plot and bland appearance, seconds began to feel like minutes and minutes seemed like hours. Although the performers had amazing voices, there is much more to a production than singing and music.