What is it Like Being in the School Play or Musical?

Many people in the school have not ever been in the school play or musical, so you might be wondering what it’s like if you want to do it in the future. I have been in the play and musical this year. Personally, it is enjoyable and worth all the after-school time. That’s my opinion though. It might not be fun for everyone. Here are some tips on what you need to do if you're in a production at school, and what it's like being in one.

First off, you have to audition. Sometimes it’s a bit nerve-racking to audition because there’s always that part of yourself that worries that you might not make it or get a “good” role. If you audition but don’t make it in, there are other options you can do and still involve the production. You can be in the set crew (builds the majority of the set), prop crew (makes most of the props), costume crew (makes most of the costumes), and lights & sound crew (this speaks for itself). Everything is pretty straightforward, but if you're in the crew, think about picking a job that you are able to complete. In lights & sound crew, your role is usually limited to the actual performance dates. You might have some other days that you learn what you're doing, including tech day. You have do your best in any role, even if you don’t have any solos, or you're in the ensemble. The ensemble is still a part of the show, and everyone is in the ensemble.

One of the harder parts of being in the musical/play is attending after-school practice. The days you go and how long you stay all depend on your role. If you have a “bigger” role then you probably will have to be at the majority of practices, but if you're not in as many scenes, you might not be in as many practices. Since practice is after school, it might interfere with your afterschool activities; so if you're thinking about doing the play or musical, check your schedule to see if there is anything you can miss for practice or anything you can’t miss. If your schedule is full, maybe now is not the best time to do the play, but if your schedule is pretty free, it’s a great time.

When you're in the play you might have less time to do homework after school, so I suggest trying to finish as much as you can at recess or tutorial. If you're in the musical and you sing a lot, try to not scream and strain your voice when you are in a production, otherwise, when you sing, your voice will be tired.

I love theatre, and I suggest it to everyone. It’s a great community and a great way to meet other people from other grades. You can express yourself without feeling judged by everyone, and everyone lifts people when they shine.