Over the past week, you may have been witness to the aimless wanderings, mental breakdowns, and overall loss of sanity from the drama department. No, this is not some strange zombie breakout. It is much, much worse. This last week was what the theater kids refer to as “Hell Week”. This is the week before the show opens and things can get pretty intense. As Senior Madison Braun said,

“Hell week is crazy because not only are students at school until past nine every day, but it is also the end of the quarter.” For most students, this means staying up to the early hours of the morning to finish homework for classes. The average amount of sleep for members of the production goes from a healthy seven hours to a mere four. This takes a severe toll on student’s mental and physical health, however if students are not in school, they cannot be at rehearsal. Students will tough out illness and sleep deprivation in order to be at rehearsal and not let down the crew.

And that doesn’t even begin to cover the stress of the last few rehearsals. Freshman Ian Zempel clearly stated,

“We only have five (or fewer as the week progresses) rehearsals to perfect this show and that is terrifying.” The actors, pit orchestra, and stage crew all have to come together to master lighting cues, vamps (repeated measures of music under dialogue), scene changes, blocking (where actors stand on the stage), vocals, costume changes, and, obviously, acting. This means rehearsals are six hours of intense practice with only a half-an-hour break for dinner. To quote the musical, the directors want everyone to be “Whipped Into Shape”.

Being part of the musical has some actual expenses to it besides mental health. Due to a limited budget, many actors have to go out and purchase their own costume pieces and makeup. Pit orchestra also must purchase their own reeds and other musical equipment which can get pricey. On top of that, students have to make sure to bring money to help pay for meals and gas to get to rehearsal.

By now, many people tend to as how drama kids are staying sane. Simply speaking, they don’t. However, there are some tricks the students use to Sophomore Anjelika Dombrowski made sure to,

“Work on homework during study halls and keep a positive attitude.” To stay alert during long rehearsals, Sophomore Owen Miller made sure to,

“Drink A LOT of coffee.” In order to stay healthy during this long week, Senior Mackenzie Linger,

“Took a lot of Ibuprofen and Vitamin C to build up my immune system.”

After complaining year after year to friends how awful hell week is, they always question why students go back to rehearsals. For Freshman Elijah Smith, it is the family he has created by doing the show,

“When I have a tough day, I know the kids in drama will be there to listen and help me through.” For others, the satisfaction comes through the rush of adrenaline during performances. Junior Claire Pelto is looking forward to opening night and finally being able to perform for an audience.

“We have worked so hard on this musical and it is so fulfilling when we finally get to show it off.”

While the musical can be a stressful time, students just have to “Take It Like A Man” and stay “Positive”. With those two things in mind, the show can create memories to last a lifetime. I’m “Serious”.

Don’t forget to come out and support the hard work of the drama students and see Legally Blonde in the South High Auditorium at 7:00 p.m. tonight! There are also performances on November 5th. 10th, 11th, and 12th at 7:00 p.m. and on the 6th at 2:00 p.m. Admission is $10, however with an activities card, you can get in for free! To pre-order tickets click here: https://search.seatyourself.biz/webstore/webstore.html?event=.&domain=sheboygandrama