A Dive Into Theatre

Elliot Kidd
Social Media Manager
  One of the many joys of Bonneville High School (BHS) is theatre. The art of theatre established itself during the Ancient Greek era. There are even different spellings of theater (the location) and theatre (the art/class). To this day it is still appreciated with performances ranging from schools to lights of New Yorks’ Broadway theater. 
  An anonymous interviewee of BHS theatre stated: “I've always like[d] [seeing] plays, so I decided to take a drama class” and was “ totally invested.” The majority of students in technical and drama are juniors and seniors. Together as a majority, most students have spent two to three years at BHS in theater. Most of the time and dedication spent in theater is on working each scene's scenery and learning memorizing skills for play scripts. Memorizing lines for some actors can take only a few hours; for others memorization may take up to weeks or months. These students dedicate themselves to theatre and even as they “put [in] time and effort” while still finding time to socialize.
  Most preparation for performances may take anywhere from seven to ten weeks. Shaun Nichols, drama teacher, has stated there is “no requirement theater class like Drama One, Musical Theatre (fall), or Intro to Stagecraft.” Other classes such as advanced drama and musical courses “require [prior classes], teacher approval, [or] [an] audition.” While technical theater does not need prior knowledge of construction; students will be taught how to build sets and use tools safely.
  Several students, who had played characters, enjoyed last year's performance of BrightStar. Throughout each year, the process of choosing the next show is when Nichols “tries to rotate the genre so that [they] don't always end up doing the same kind of show.” The next step requires Nichols to “read four to five plays” and “assess the talent pool” to “meet the needs of the show.” Once the show idea is picked, it heads off for approval by the school board. 
  This year's fall musical is Seussical, a dream come to true for Nichols. He has been wanting to present a production like Seussical for years. In relation to dreams coming true, these theatre students dream of what they would like to do after high school. Not all of their dreams are theater related, some have used drama as a way to communicate, like a communication class. While others with a more theatre based career path, have opportunities throughout the school year to compete district wide in competitions. As well share their love for theater to the elementary children. 
  If theatre ever sounds interesting, give the class a shot. Sometimes people never know the perfect path is right there. It is never too late to try! Buzz out! 

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