Laughing through the hysteria of rehearsal

On Friday, Jan. 11 and Saturday, Jan. 11 at 7 p.m., Lawrence Woodmere Academy will open its Hessel Hall doors for its non-musical show featuring Tom Stoppard’s “The Real Inspector Hound.”

I have mentioned in previous columns that I have been an activate member of LWA’s theater community throughout my four years of high school. In the upcoming production, I play Cynthia Muldoon. For those of you who have never been a part of cast or production, I can assure you that it is simultaneously stressful and fulfilling.

Once the casting was finalized we begin rehearsing in November with somewhat of a care-free attitude. We stumble through our new lines content to laugh off mistakes and enjoy each other’s energies.

The weeks roll by and although we’re still laughing the lines become more important and our movements more deliberate. The show always seems so far away and we always seem to think that there’s more time to fix rehearsed mistakes and learn dropped lines.

With a month until the show, the hysteria begins: Suddenly every prop and costume must be in order, the laughing becomes less frequent and missed cues are the cause of much anxiety. Despite this cycle and frustration, the theater community becomes a small, functional family. The countless hours spent onstage after school and on Saturdays can only be fully appreciated by the people who’ve spent them with you.

Brittney McFarlane, Joshua Torres, Brandon Funderburke, and I have battled our way through productions since ninth grade. We have found a way to keep each other sane while bringing color and depth to our shows. Although our cast has performed all different genres of plays and musicals, I believe we thrive on the amusement of comedies.

And so, it is only fitting that our final non-musical production of our high school careers should be a farce. I invite you to enjoy one of the brightest Kodak moments of my senior year.

Please join us this Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m. for a fabulous show, followed by those famous LWA cookies.