Ever since I watched the movie of “HIgh School Musical” and sang along with the karaoke version of the video I have wanted to do this show with my middle school players. It deals with cliques, relationships, and how people see you. Are you just the big basketball player in the school or are you capable of continuing your "macho" status while being an actor in a musical as well? Can you be the romantic lead in a show and be an intellectual too? Can you still be respected by your teammates if you stretch your limits? Can you be in two places at once?
As usual, art has been imitating life for years. In this case, we have students in this production who are also on a swim team, and others who are also on a volleyball team. These commitments have gotten in the way the whole entire time with rehearsals for the play. How fascinating is that? We are always trying to fit into everyone else's schedule, and it becomes a problem every year. Well, at least the show will document these problems, and maybe we will all learn that you have to make concessions for children to learn in many different ways, to find themselves, to experiment with all kinds of new ideas and art forms. The teachers in the show fight with each other about the importance of their disciplines, and they act like children themselves.
I have never gotten into a shouting match with any of the teachers over where my actors need to be, but I will tell you that I go home feeling quite defeated when major parts of the play leave early or show up late for rehearsals. We are now down to two more rehearsals, before the final ones in the gym, and I am hoping for the best with my actors and singers. However, there are still people who struggle to see the importance of a commitment to a production. In the end, it is not about that one person who is or isn't there, it is about the success of the entire production. It takes everyone's final commitment to make it work. All I can do is continue to have faith, and keep it real, like the drama coach in the original show.
Come see it and see for yourself: Thursday, March 29th, Friday, March 30th and Saturday, March 31st, at 7pm in the York Middle School Gymnasium. Hope to see you there, "Soaring, Flying, there's not a star in heaven that you can't reach"..
As usual, art has been imitating life for years. In this case, we have students in this production who are also on a swim team, and others who are also on a volleyball team. These commitments have gotten in the way the whole entire time with rehearsals for the play. How fascinating is that? We are always trying to fit into everyone else's schedule, and it becomes a problem every year. Well, at least the show will document these problems, and maybe we will all learn that you have to make concessions for children to learn in many different ways, to find themselves, to experiment with all kinds of new ideas and art forms. The teachers in the show fight with each other about the importance of their disciplines, and they act like children themselves.
I have never gotten into a shouting match with any of the teachers over where my actors need to be, but I will tell you that I go home feeling quite defeated when major parts of the play leave early or show up late for rehearsals. We are now down to two more rehearsals, before the final ones in the gym, and I am hoping for the best with my actors and singers. However, there are still people who struggle to see the importance of a commitment to a production. In the end, it is not about that one person who is or isn't there, it is about the success of the entire production. It takes everyone's final commitment to make it work. All I can do is continue to have faith, and keep it real, like the drama coach in the original show.
Come see it and see for yourself: Thursday, March 29th, Friday, March 30th and Saturday, March 31st, at 7pm in the York Middle School Gymnasium. Hope to see you there, "Soaring, Flying, there's not a star in heaven that you can't reach"..
