The theater department performed their annual fall musical “Bye Bye Birdie”. The show took many hours of hard work to create.
In order to prepare for the show the cast used their own unique techniques to get everything ready. One popular way to prepare among the cast was to make a quizlet for all of the lines that needed to be memorized. Other ways included repetitively going over everything that was in need to be memorized.
For senior Grace Cormany, using a quizlet is the best way to memorize her lines.
“I make a quizlet for all my lines and get those down first,” Cormany said. “Then I go over my dances in seminar, after school and at home.”
Playing a character isn’t just memorizing lines, getting into and understanding the character is also a big part of it.
Getting into the mindset for junior Ayden Brown helps his overall performance.
“Getting into a mindset really helps me get into character and even prepares me for the chance that something could go wrong,” Brown said.
Memorizing lines for one character comes with challenges, but many students had to double up and memorize lines for two roles.
“I was Rose Alvarez in Bye Bye Birdie as well as part of the NYC quartet. Rose was a complex character and required more memorization, dancing, and singing,” Cormany said. Being in a quartet was fun though.”
Between getting everything memorized for the show, the student’s still had school work to complete.d. Dividing time for both can be draining for these young actors, but the result is worth it.
Despite finding it difficult, Cormany learns to balance the work for the play as well as school.
“It was very difficult balancing schoolwork, AP classes, rep theater and choir with the show. As we got closer to the show, rehearsals got longer, so I wouldn’t be able to get home until around nine most nights,” Cormany said. “It’s worth it though because theater makes me so happy.”
The students in the musical didn’t only have a great show, but also created a great environment within their cast. The cast was able to create lifetime bonds through their shared love of performance.
“Everyone is so kind and welcoming,” Cormany said. “It’s hard not to love every minute you spend on stage with them.”
