Mrs. Laura Greffen, the director and theatre teacher, takes a unique approach towards enhancing this year’s fall theater production by including a cast full of varying age groups. Just last month, on September 5th and 6th, official auditions for Marriotts Ridge’s fall production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat took place. Following the auditions, a nine week-long rehearsal process, held after school, began.
“It’s actually pretty short. It’s hard because it’s so emotional for everyone involved, because everyone has their hopes up and some people are going to be disappointed and some people are going to be surprised. You know, there’s a lot of nerves and anxiety. It’s like an emotional rollercoaster,” Mrs. Greffen said.
The audition process has gone through many changes throughout the years in order to make it shorter, simpler and just as effective. In-person auditions are a two day process, in which the first day a dance is taught to potential cast members. On the second day, students split up into small groups to practice and eventually perform the dance for the director and other theater staff. Vocal auditions on the other hand, are done through online video submissions, in which students choose an excerpt of a song to perform, which sometimes results in callbacks. This brief audition process seems to be to the benefit of both the director and students.
“I think the audition process works perfectly fine. I like how you submit a video instead of it being in person, because then it’s just you and you get to control how you do it. There’s no one else there to judge you,” junior Max Ryon explains.
As simple as this audition process was, it was made even simpler for the elementary and middle school students that are being incorporated into the show. Auditions are one night, for about ninety minutes. During this time period, the children’s choir learns a short excerpt of a song and they eventually perform it all together. Through this wonderful experience, the children’s interest in theater not only grows, but it also allows them to observe a more professional environment.
Fostering the children’s imagination and interest in musical theater is one of the main goals that the theater department wants to accomplish with the incorporation of middle and elementary school students in the performance. Both the community and all of the students benefit from this integration.
“For the older kids, getting to see the wonder in the little kids’ eyes–you see second and third graders who are staring at these high schoolers like they are just the coolest role models ever–it’s kind of neat for both sides. The high schoolers to be able to be role models and interact with the young, excited little kids and for the younger kids to have something to look forward to and maybe get them interested enough to keep doing theater as they get older,” Mrs. Greffen said.
Even though these younger children are participating in the theater performance alongside the high schoolers, they are still in need of stricter supervision. Specifically, teachers often have to reinforce their efforts in order to maintain a safe environment. These efforts often include supervising the whereabouts of these children at all times, such as where they should be on stage, and even something as simple as a trip to the bathroom. In addition to these measures, the younger children also adhere to a more structured practice schedule. Not only does this achieve the goal of exposing the younger children to a professional theater environment, but it also encourages community and student engagement with the theater department in all aspects.
The theater department exerts its many efforts to accomplish its goals of providing educational theater and encouraging positive relationships among students and various cast members. Such positive relationships and wonderful cast members only push the theater department further toward its goal of an outstanding and completely sold-out performance for this fall production. Aside from the students, the staff also puts in great effort in order to perfect and polish the show. Various staff members such as Mrs. Greffen, Mr. Rawlings, Mr. Sankey, Ms. Grimes, Ms. White and others are part of the amazing effort to provide an engaging viewing experience of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. To help cast members of any age, staff and the theater department as a whole in achieving their goal of a sold-out show, the theater department hopes to see students and other members of the community at their long-awaited performances on November 9, 10 and 11. The combined efforts of staff and students, as well as the inclusion of the lovely children’s choir, will be sure to deliver charming performances.