Behind The Scenes of a High School Production By: Eva Long

Producing a high school play or musical involves an immense amount of work from many people, often starting months before the actual performance. The first phase includes selecting a script, casting the show, and organizing rehearsals. Mr. S, the director at Hillgrove states, “So to say, you know the difference between a professional actor who's been trained and been doing it for years and years, who can, you know, understand their craft and their process. We're teaching process here, and so we have to take a much longer time to do things, and we just have to think about where we can cut things, where we can recycle things, where we can utilize the resources that we have” Teachers, directors, and stage managers must review numerous musicals to find one that fits the school's resources, cast, and audience. Once the play is chosen, auditions are held, and the director works with students to cast the right roles, ensuring each student can effectively portray their character. Then, a rigorous rehearsal schedule begins, where students not only learn their lines but also work on blocking, choreography, and character development.

            Costumes and makeup also play a significant role in bringing the characters to life, and the work involved in this is often underestimated. Jacob Fraizer, a costume designer at Hillgrove, states “We take measurements at the beginning of the semester to make sure that they fit their body type, and then we kind of talk about like their character and how they feel about their character” .Costumes need to be designed and either bought or created from putting pieces together, which can be both time-consuming and costly. Jacob Fraizer states “you just must be very like ready to change anything like nothing is set in stone until the day that it goes on the stage for the first time. So you just have to be ready to change and have backups ready.” Students in the costume department must ensure that each character has an appropriate and functional outfit, often altering or tailoring them to fit specific needs or roles. Makeup and hairstyling are also important to transform students into their characters, especially in productions that call for more elaborate or creative looks. It takes an extraordinary amount of attention to detail to ensure everything aligns with the director’s vision.

             The final push toward performance involves countless hours of rehearsal, where the cast and crew fine-tune every aspect of the production. This includes practicing the timing of cues, perfecting performances, and making last-minute adjustments to the set and costumes. In addition, there is the preparation of promotional materials, ticket sales, and front-of-house operations, all of which require careful organization and teamwork. The result is a high school production that requires dedication and patience from everyone involved. The work may be intense, but the pride and satisfaction of watching the final show come together make all the effort worthwhile.