Before the Curtain Opens: Theatrical Arts Students Prep for a Show!

Erin McGraw, High School Fine Arts Chair
Please join us for a middle and high school production of The Sound of Music
Thursday, March 16 and Saturday, March 18
7:00PM Upper School Gym, Pinecrest Academy

For the Theatrical Arts students at Pinecrest, Monday marked the start of our Spring Show Week. Show Week is a magical time in the world of theater. The hours of memorizing lines, learning songs and choreography, building and painting sets, organizing costumes, and creating props all culminate during these “countdown” days. The cast and crew will spend 20+ hours this week working to bring all the necessary components together to produce an excellent production.
The stage is a special place. It is a place where, as performers, for a brief moment in time, you are able to break from your daily life and take on another character. For the crew, it is a place to focus all your energies on something bigger than yourself, helping to make the magic happen. As a director, I have the distinct honor of helping provide the opportunity for young people to discover and cultivate the talents within them, to challenge themselves to push their limits and to grow, and to help them become more understanding and sympathetic of others.

The performing arts can be a very selfless experience for those creating it. For an hour or two, we are able to give others the opportunity to take a break from the stresses of their daily lives, transporting them to another place and time. We entertain them. This is an honor and privilege that we must hold in high regard, and we must work to give our best effort, in trying to bring these characters and places to life.

One of my favorite reflections on theater is Charlie Leveson’s “Everything I Learned in Life, I Learned from the Theater.” The theater is a great place for young people to cultivate skills they can use for their lifetime.

Opening night will soon be upon us, and I will remind the cast and crew of our task at hand. We will do our pre-show routine of prayer, a “High School Musical” throwback (shout out to the Class of 2016), good lucks, and high fives. The lights will go up, the lines will be delivered, and the sweet sounds of “Climb Every Mountain” and “Edelweiss” will fill the room.

Then, in the blink of an eye, it will all come to a close. We will dim the lights, strike the set, reorganize costumes and props, and head back to the classroom. This week will soon become a distant memory, a small stitch in the fabric of our lives. But hopefully what will remain with these students is the understanding of a job well done, the value of hard work and teamwork, a sense of selfless giving, deeper friendships, and so much more.

We hope you will join us for “An Evening with Rodgers and Hammerstein.” Our 7th Grade Theatrical Arts students will be performing a medley of classics by this amazing duo, followed by our Spring production of “The Sound of Music”, performed by our Middle and High School Theatrical Arts students.

Stay tuned for next week’s follow up blog … “Reflections of a Show Week”. Students from the cast and crew will share their experiences and favorite memories from the week.