Studies show that teenagers need an average minimum of eight hours of sleep per night. If you tell that to a North/South Drama student, however, they may just chuckle a bit. During the week of late rehearsals leading up to opening night which we theatre geeks ever so endearingly call “Hell Week,” it is considered a miracle to get five to six hours of sleep per night. If, God forbid, you get more than that, well, it would be wise to keep that information to yourself. Or so that’s the way it was in years past. This year the tables have turned and I was fortunate enough to walk through my front door before 9:00 p.m. each night of Hell Week, a fact that I was all too ecstatic about. But this begs the question– why would anyone want to commit to an activity so time consuming in the first place? Believe me, I ask myself this at least once a week. Inevitably there are two things that makes all of the stress worth it: a passion for theatre and a love for the people involved. Senior Abigail Wagaman explains, “I love being in the pit orchestra because they’re like my second family. We spend so much time together and that has caused us all to become really close friends.” “Like in any family, there are those classic drama moments where people are arguing or crying, but we mostly just have fun and joke around,” adds cast member, Junior Lauren Edson. “The friends I have made while doing the musical are some of the most amazing, and quite terrifying, people that I could have ever worked with.” I myself was unaware of these wonderful experiences that came along with being in a musical until my Sophomore year when I joined the pit orchestra for the Mikado. Since then I have fallen in love with the voices of the actors, the artistic details of the set, and the musical talent I am constantly surrounded with in the pit orchestra. Each year I am amazed by the amount of hard work that every person puts into the production, and this year is no exception. Tonight the members of the North/South drama department are proud to present In the Heights. It is the story of young adults trying to get by and find their place in the world, all while learning what it means to be home. Along with relatable characters, the show provides a lively mix of latin and rap music styles and breathtaking set built by our stage crew. The students and staff responsible for putting this show together have spent countless hours pouring out their talent to create an unforgettable performance– each day I’ve had the pleasure of witnessing it. However, there would be no point to their hard work if they didn’t have an audience to entertain, and so those of us in the Drama Department encourage any interested staff and students of South High to come see our production of In the Heights at 7:00 p.m this evening. It is well worth the drive over to North High!
Story & Photo by: Mia Thaves