Many students choose not to participate in St. Robert’s Middle School Showcase because of prior time commitments.  But how much time does the play really take?

The first step in the casting process of the musical is the hour long meet-and-greet/workshop.  This is an opportunity for students to meet the director and music director, get a better feel of the play, and learn the requirements for the auditions.  The meet-and-greet is very informative, but students definitely get strong first impressions of the play and their future directors.

Auditions for the play take place on two different days after school.  Students sign up in groups for different time slots, each about ten to fifteen minutes.  Each student must sing the specific audition song that they learned at the workshop.  The boys learn one song from the show, and the girls learn a different one.  Everyone also prepares a thirty second monologue so the director can get a feel for their acting skills and ability to convey lines.  Many who audition, especially those who are new to the musical, are very nervous and tense.  After auditions, students may be called back on a different day for additional tryouts.  The callbacks take about four hours and may also be nerve-wracking.  The cast list comes out a few days after the callbacks conclude.

Musical rehearsals almost always take place after school.  They run from 3:15 to 5:15 on regular school days, and from 2:15 to 5:15 on early dismissal Wednesdays.  The first week of rehearsals is spent only learning the music.  A short parent meeting follows one of the first rehearsals to inform the parents about the show.  As the opening night date approaches, rehearsals start going until 6:00 after school instead of the usual 5:15.  Also, whenever there is a half-day, rehearsals often take place for several hours after school is let out.

The show is staged in order.  Not every character is in each scene, so for a good chunk of rehearsals, only certain characters are required to attend.  However, there are still a number of play practices to which the whole cast is called.  You must be on time to every rehearsal.  Otherwise you risk a strict talking-to with the director.  If you are at play practice but you are not being used the whole time, you are free to do homework or practice your lines, but stay away from loud talking or being distracted on your phone. (The latter will also earn you a strict talk.)  There is sometimes a feeling of boredom of sitting around or waiting for your scene.

The crew is asked to go to only a few rehearsals in the beginning of the show, but once the sets are more developed and we start working with props and costumes, the crew start coming to more and more practices.  This means an increasing the number of students present at every rehearsal, as well as the number of snacks needed and the noise level.  But the crew’s presence definitely boosted the feeling of a professional production and they are necessary for the show to come alive.

The set painters and costume manager also spend countless hours making sure all the director’s visions come true.  They work on weekends and sometimes late at night to create the wooden beds, windows, and doors that brought the many different scenes to life.  This year, an additional piece of set was required for the show’s many different set backgrounds: a “magic wall.”  The director envisioned a four foot high wall that could be stood on and climbed over during the performances.  He asked for about 10 different panels to be painted and rotated through on the wall to suit each scene.  This new project took extra time to plan paint, and construct, and everyone was very thankful once the contraption finally began to become real towards the end of the rehearsal process.

Before each show, the cast is required to come to school two hours prior to the show.  Everyone needs time to get their hair, makeup, and costumes ready before the director’s warm up.  Everyone tries to keep calm before the show starts, since last minute costume adjustments and large audiences can prompt lots of butterflies.  The cast goes to their places after checking their props and saying a few quick prayers.  Then the show begins!

Each different production at St. Robert has a different running time, but in general they last about an hour and a half.  After the each show concludes, the cast must carefully put their costumes back and make sure the locker rooms are very clean.

Although the time commitment is too great for some who participate in demanding sports, many find that all the grueling hours pay off and are necessary to create a great show and a great theater experience for all.