When starting freshman year, students have the choice to choose extracurricular activity. Theater is a common path many students become involved in, but the experience is different for each newcomer.
From a young age, students may be introduced to theater, but taking the step into high school theater impacts many young actors and actresses as well as crew members.
“I’ve been interested in theater since I was really young, my grandma used to take me to shows, but I didn’t actually start doing acting until later. I wanted to see what it was like to experience high school theater,” Rowan Evans, 9, said.
Theater itself contributes to a students love for the activity, but also the community of the arts and the lasting connections made.
“Community is a really big part of it. The people keep making me want to come back,” Lenore Pinkerton, 9, said.
Being on stage as an actor and actress is a big role for many and can be a different experience than working behind the scenes.
“The bright lights really just call me. I really enjoy working with people and getting into characters because I’ve always played really weird characters,”
Cameron Donahey, 9, said
While being on the stage and behind the scenes in a part played by many, the freshman theater class itself heavily contributes to the theater program through its teaching of the basics of theater and technique in many aspects of on and off stage performance.
“I really like the projects and that we get to do our own work but it’s still fun. We’ve done an improv unit, and I loved it, and we also are writing a script which has a lot of freedom with it. It’s a fun class where you learn a lot of things,” Donahey said.
Whether it’s behind the scenes or in the bright lights, the impact that the theater program is having on incoming students is helping them to choose their interests and have fun in the arts.
“I’m excited for my future in theater because it can lead to other opportunities down the line that I know I’ll really like because this is something I enjoy,” Pinkerton said.
