SHA Theatre: An Inside Look

Tech week, quick costume changes, and “Can I borrow someone’s hairspray?” are just a few of the terms and phrases you will hear if you are involved in a Sacred Heart Academy production. While most only see the production itself, theatre has much more to it than what the audience will see.

“Theatre is a place where a community of us can come together, be ourselves and create something we love that’s artistic and entertaining,” junior Scarlett Attari said.

The obvious key points to being part of a production are rehearsing lines, learning dances, and singing. However, each show would be extremely dull if these were the only aspects focused on. The audience needs to feel what the actor is feeling, and this can be done through body language or the mood sensed in the actor’s voice. Also, an important aspect of acting is how well you interact with your fellow castmates. If your character is friends with someone in the show, you need to exemplify this to the audience.

Another important aspect of theater is the tech side. Without sets, props, lighting, or backdrops, the show would lose its realness. The way the stage looks can draw in the audience, and make them feel as if they really are at a broadway show, rumble, or whichever setting it may be.

The most important factor that most do not notice is family. When you are with a group of people for two hours a day, every week, you find a bond with them that you never realized was there. This is especially apparent during tech week, which is the week where the cast and crew runs through the show in its entirety, including costumes, makeup, sets, lighting, and all of the other key roles. Essentially, we treat it as if we are performing a real show every night.

When running a “show” every night during tech week, we are all required to stay in the theater for an extended period of time. This sometimes means staying later than expected and working harder than ever to put on a great show.

“It means working late and hard, but enjoying every minute of it,” freshman Claire Elder said.

However, through all of the late rehearsals and hard work put in, seeing all of it pay off in your performance makes every minute worth it.

“Theatre means the world to me, and I love the atmosphere and people very much,” freshman Isabella Huecker said.