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​What It's Like To Be In a Performance

3/5/2018

 
PictureThe cast in the final number.
I was recently in a performance of A Chorus Line with Asheville Performing Arts Academy. It was an amazing experience for me and I’m assuming, many of my cast mates. It was a really fun show to do, and I feel like I grew as an actor and all together performer, because of this show. I do most to all of my shows with Asheville Performing Arts Academy. I have been performing with them for 3 years now. The APAA (Asheville Performing Arts Academy) is a year-long program that includes programs for Dance, Acting, And Music. All of these things come with the tuition. There are also some other things you would pay extra for, but all-together it is very worth it. APAA has helped me become a better performer and person. So if you are into the arts, I would definitely use this program as an option.
 
Our latest show was A Chorus Line. This show was a show that we had professional auditions for. We would go into the room where we rehearse, in front of a panel of directors and performed a song of our choice and a monologue of our choice. It was very nerve-wracking, but a very helpful experience for me. Here are some other opinions on the audition process.
 
Ellie Hewitt-Corzine played Maggie Winslow in A Chorus Line. This is how she prepared for the audition process. “I practiced my monologue in front of a mirror. Then I practiced in front of my mom. Just to make sure I was comfortable saying it. Then I figured the worst that can happen is I get ensemble, and that's not bad at all.”
 
The rehearsal process was very fun for me. I was cast as a cut dancer, but I was the main character in another show we did named Madagascar. So since I was a main in another show I couldn't be a main in A Chorus Line. I was in 2 numbers. The opening and the finale. So they were both very big dance numbers so I learned choreography and sang off stage, and turned mirrors when necessary. That's what I did in the show too. The rehearsal process was much different for the cut dancers than the people that made it on the line. Here are some opinions on the rehearsal process.
 
Ceili Taft played a cut dancer (Girl in Brown). This is what she thought of the rehearsal process. “ I liked the rehearsal process because of the way it was held and how we got to learn everything.” She also said, “ In some ways or another it was emotional, but mostly I just had fun with my friends learning choreography.”
 
Then there was tech week. Every time I’m in a show, no matter what role I have tech week is always super stressful. Tech week is the week that the show opens. We have tech week Monday through Thursday, and the show opens on Friday night. During tech week we have rehearsal all week. So every day after school, we drive to the theatre and we rehearsed from 4:30 to 7:30. Also during tech week the test the lights, the sound, all the technical stuff. Tech week for me was like I said was a very stressful experience. Everyone was so nervous, and on edge but we still had fun because we knew the show was good. Here are some other opinions on tech week.
 
Lana Abernathy played a cut dancer. This is what she thought about tech week. “Tech week was very stressful, and it always is. People are running around thinking of every single thing we need to do right. It wasn’t very emotional because I didn’t have as much responsibility as the people on the line.”  (The lead characters.)
 
Finally, opening night. This always my favorite part of the whole experience. Opening night is the first night when we perform in front of an audience. On opening night for this show, I was not as stressed as usual because I wasn’t a main role. Then again, I was still pretty nervous. This was one of our biggest shows of the year. It wasn’t big with people, but it was an important show and I just didn’t want to mess it up. The show went really well, in my opinion.  Here are some other opinions about opening night.
 
Ceili Taft played a cut dancer (Girl in Brown). This what she thought of the opening night. “I had a little case of the nerves, but it was another show so I was mostly excited. I prepared for opening night by going off dairy, eating protein, getting into my costume, putting on makeup, and helping people who needed help.”
 
Then we had our last show. We usually have 3 shows but this year we only had 2. Which some of us were confused about, but we were just happy we got to do this show. Our last show for me is always really sad because I know it is the last time we are performing the show. And I for one really love performing so it makes me sad to know this chapter is over. But that's just me.
 
All in all. Being in a show is such an amazing experience, and if you want to try the arts or do things like this I would totally recommend it. Performing is so fun and it is all totally worth it. 
 
Story by Tia Irby


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