Lights, camera, action!: Inside NC’s drama department
When inducted into the International Thespian Society, students are given a special certificate signed by the president of the drama board and the troupe’s director.
May 19, 2016
Lights, camera, action. No NCHS drama performance starts properly without hearing these famous words from Candice Corcoran, NC’s theatre director and teacher.
“Theatre is not just an art, it is an experience. How do you describe the feeling of being on the stage or the nervousness of an audition? Theatre is something you can’t find anywhere else and it’s an amazing exploration into the feelings that can be captured from every different perspective. It is an art that was made to produce emotions, which it does successfully every day” junior Jacob Jones said.
Through years of nerve wracking auditions, countless hours of rehearsal, and pre-show jitters the night before a performance, the NC Drama Department has always been able to put on a show that gives each audience a reason to come back for more. The tech put in hours upon hours building sets and making sure that every detail shines until it comes time for opening night. One may wonder, what makes the cast and crew want to come back after all of this time consuming work and effort? The answer: their love, passion and drive for the arts.
Whether a dramatic play, such as These Shining Lives, or a comedic musical, Legally Blonde, the students in the theatre department never fail in drawing a crowd. The enigmatic stage presence of the actors and the cohesiveness of the crew bring to life stories that only one with a wild imagination could dream of.
“Theatre is my passion. I honestly don’t know what I’d do without it in my life. In the future, my dream is to be an actress on Broadway. I honestly wouldn’t care if i was a small part in the ensemble. The experience would be breathtaking. My whole entire existence would be made,” senior Sarah Kate Unkefer said. “Theatre is like oxygen. Theatre is a many splendored thing. All you need is theatre.”
Newly inducted Thespians say the sacred oath that officially inducts them into the International Thespian Society.
Students who belong to NC Drama also join a global organization called the International Thespian Alliance. Students must earn at least ten Thespian points to qualify for an induction into this society. One can earn by doing activities such as performing in a show, seeing a performance, working tech for a show or event, and helping around the theatre. Most students become honor Thespians, meaning they have earned over 60 points and have dedicated themselves to theatre and the love of the arts.
The theatre department has provided a home for students that have passed through it every year. Teens come to expand their talent and end up finding comfort in the stage lights and the friendships formed under them.
