Long before the curtain rises and the spotlight goes on at the start of a high school drama production, many hours of work have gone on behind the scenes. Students are often involved in set design, costume creation, sound and lighting, green room management, concessions and much more.
“We had something like 24 wireless microphones for our production of ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream,’” said Battle Ground High School senior Richard Kaiser, who also ran sound on their fall production this year. “I have to run cues to make sure all of those mics come through cleanly, make sure the batteries are fresh, stuff like that.”
Many of the students working crew on a production have also acted on stage. For some, it’s a change of pace, or a chance to enjoy spending time with their friends without having to memorize lines.
“I felt like it was a great way to get to know both sides of a production,” said Ruby Yankus, a freshman at BGHS.
Robyn Michael, a senior at Prairie High School, volunteered for a tech job in another class because she felt bad no one else was stepping up. “And then I kind of started to like it,” she said, “so I just kept doing it.”
Michael was speaking while attaching microphones to actors during a rehearsal for their fall production of “Mary Poppins.” During the show, she was backstage helping with costume changes, moving set pieces around and working the fly rail, lifting and dropping backdrops between scenes.
Battle Ground Public Schools has a rich history of drama and theater productions, with several schools mounting shows each year that are paid for in part through funding from the district’s education and operations levy.
Most of all, students said they love the community aspect of a high school drama production.
“In drama club, I don’t really have to be athletic or whatever,” said Zac French, a senior at BGHS who ran spotlight for their fall production. “I can just be myself. Drama club accepts me for who I am and I appreciate that.”
Emma Meadows, a junior at Prairie, was stage manager for their production of “Mary Poppins.”
“I run everything backstage,” she said while applying makeup to cast member Oliver Hoffman. “I keep things safe, call all of the light and fly cues, just keep things running.”
Through that, Meadows says she’s learned to speak up for herself in public, step up as a leader and become more assertive. To other students considering whether or not to join drama, Meadows says her advice is to “put yourself out there.”
“If you show up, I guarantee that you’ll get along with just about everyone,” agreed BGHS senior Sawyer Rhyasen. “This is a space where you can be creative, make new friends and you don’t have to try and act a certain way.”
“I wish I would have joined during my freshman year,” said French. “These are really cool people. Honestly, I love them.”
