Musical Theatre WHERE THE WORLDS OF THEATRE AND CHOIR COLLIDE IN HARMONY
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rom an audience viewpoint, the shows put on by the Gainesville High School Theatre Department look effortless, but what happens behind the scenes is quite the opposite. Nevertheless, with theatre director Morgan Sims and choir director Joanna Ceja, there’s nothing this group of students can’t accomplish. The students in this program have a wonderful opportunity to get a taste of what real world theatre is like. They learn all the necessary skills needed to make a good show; how to make costumes, props, and sets, as well as improve their singing, dancing, and acting skills. The program provides hands-on training to ensure that every student leaves with a new perspective of theatre to enhance their talents. “Theatre is a place where I can be my truest self without judgement,” said seniors Haylee Lopez and Debora Castillo. “You get to learn new experiences, make connections with people you never thought you’d talk to, and find out so much about yourself, all while performing an extremely expressive form of art. We love everything about theatre.” In the Fall, the GHS Theatre Department put on a production of James and the Giant Peach, the Musical. The show is about an orphan child named James that goes on a crazy journey on a giant peach with a group of lifesize bugs, trying to escape from his terrible aunts, Spiker and Sponge. As silly and goofy as this Roald Dahl childrens show sounds, it was a difficult show to pull off. The tight harmonies and killer choreography kept both the audience and the actors on their toes!
Article contributed by Desmond Pouncil, GHS Senior Thespian
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• Gainesville SPOTlight • Winter 2021
The students spent countless hours at rehearsals during and outside of school, resulting in a successful, crowd pleasing show. In addition to multiple community performances, the troupe performed shows specifically for the 1st-6th graders of GISD. “It was a super fun and memorable show, definitely one for the books,” said Adriana Galano, the actress behind the role of the Spider. Theatre is a lot more difficult than most people think, and musical theatre takes it up a level. There is so much physical and emotional work that goes into putting on a musical; choreography, refreshing vocal rehearsals, blocking and staging, lights and sound, costumes and props, building the set. Everything goes hand in hand and each job has a specific person in charge of it. Students learn not only how to do all these tasks, but how to work as a team and be a dependable piece of the puzzle. One of the most beautiful aspects of theatre are the bonds that are created. Through the preparation of every show, students are able to make connections with each other, which is a big part of how theatre works. Both on and off the stage, we become emotionally invested in the people around us. Everyone depends on one another to not only pull their weight of the show but also help bring up the people around them. With that, you get a company that turns into a family, which is a big part of why high school theatre is so special.
