Theatre is an elective students are able to take to stretch their creativity in a different way with acting. Being a part theatre comes with the option to participate in after school theatre activities like the productions the school holds. Students have the opportunity to be members of the Theatre Company and be eligible to audition for plays or musicals. Students can also take Tech Theatre where they are able to be introduced to what goes on behind the scenes like set, costume, sound and lights.

Currently, theatre has held auditions for their upcoming productions, Seussical, which will be held in the Performing Arts Center, and The Tempest/Chemical Imbalance, which will be held in the Black Box. The dates of Suessical are Jan. 20 to the 22 & 28 to the 29, and for The Tempest/Chemical Imbalance, the dates are on Oct. 7 to the 9 and 15 to the 16.

“Some of the challenges of holding auditions for two different shows and having the rehearsal for both productions around the same time is time management. Some kids are double casted into both productions meaning they have to try making time for both shows and students schedules can play a huge role since a lot of kids have other priorities,” said Kelsie Morris, one of the theatre directors.

Balancing time for the students can be a lot of work since a lot of the students have things to do such as sports, tutoring, etc. which is a big contribution to some of the challenges that occur during rehearsal time. Time management and getting things done according to schedule can be stressful and having to work on two shows at once makes it a lot of work.

The rehearsals for both the Fall Black Box Production, The Tempest/Chemical Imbalance, and the Spring Musical, Seussical, overlap. This can differ a bit from other productions OTHS has held in the past especially with COVID-19.

“Last year during Godspell everything went fine through COVID so this year we’re more prepared if anything happens,” said Morris.

The pandemic has played a huge role in all lives including the theatre department. The experience of last year during COVID-19 and producing Godspell, a musical produced during the 2020-2021 school year, helped give the directors and students an idea of how to work things out.

“The main thing I’m looking forward to for the upcoming productions is having fun rehearsals,” said Morris.

The process of creating productions can be very stressful, but the directors and students try to make the rehearsal process as fun as they possibly can to make it an enjoyable experience for everyone participating.

Becoming a member of the Theatre Company is an option given to the students who take theatre, to be more involved if they choose to do so. The experience of becoming a member can give you a lot of opportunities to go to events and auditions for shows, which can be very fun and pleasurable.

“Being a member of the Tompkins Theatre Company lets you be eligible to audition for different shows and they can attend social events the Theatre Company holds,” said Morris.

Theatre rehearsals for any production here at OTHS are held everyday after school for two hours in total, and with the two productions going on at the same time, two hours does not seem like a lot, so many students work on the productions during enrichment and sometimes Saturday rehearsals.

If you are interested in participating in any productions held here at OTHS or want further information on the upcoming productions, please check out the Tompkins Theatre website,  www.tompkinstheatre.com .