The stage lights haven’t turned on yet, but behind the curtains the air hums with nervous energy as the cast and crew of Macbeth begins adjusting costumes, memorizing lines, and setting the stage for opening night.
Sophomore Amelie Turcotte has been an actress in previous shows, but now is experiencing the feelings of her first year as a crew member.
“I’m excited but also nervous, there’s lots of stuff that can go wrong. We have to use machines that can break pretty easily, and we’ve had previous problems with them in the past,” said Turcotte. “Although, I am also very excited because I think it’s a really cool job to have, and I want to learn more about special effects.”
Turcotte expresses how the process of putting on a production can be frustrating, since many steps have to be taken before the bigger picture is completed.
“We can’t practice with the set because we don’t have stage access until closer to the show, and we need county approval before we can use most of our equipment,” said Turcotte.
Despite the trials and errors, senior actor and set member Ben Harper, who has the role of Porter in Macbeth, believes all the hard work is visible among the crew, and is heavily paying off.
“I don’t want to hype it up too much, but I think [the show] is going to be pretty intense. Our set crew is great and has put a lot of focus into it,” said Harper.
Alongside the crew, junior actor Michael Yasser takes getting into character to a whole different level, making a playlist based off of his role, and listening to it before run throughs.
“Once we get to dress rehearsals and run through the show a bunch it’s really fun, we end up running through it every day, bringing the characters more to life,” said Yasser.
Yasser also shares how he understands the different viewpoints when it comes to performing, and that theatre is more emotion-filled when on stage.
“[Theatre] is very subjective, so people sometimes don’t like it, it’s an art so it’ll always be viewed differently,” said Yasser. “The feeling of being on stage is amazing, you get to entertain people and take away their worries for however long the performance is. It’s like an escape from the world and you get to provide that.”
Sophomore actor Griffin Wagner, playing the role of Meneth, shares that same enthusiasm for creating a memorable experience for the audience.
“Whenever I make the crowd laugh a lot it makes me really happy, just knowing that I give people a lot of joy when I perform brings me joy,” said Wagner.
Over the years, each play is different from the next to ensure grabbing the attention of peers. In order to grab that attention and make connections with the crowd, actors must adapt to many different roles.
“[Into The Woods and Puffs] were very unserious, but with this year’s play being Shakespeare, it’s a huge emotional change. You have to really know your character to play them,” said Harper.
It can get tiring running around multiple days a week in order to perfect a role, especially when every rehearsal demands high focus and energy.
“Everything past tech week is fun but getting there is the hard part. When you’ve blocked all the scenes and you’re 80% off script, that’s when it becomes easy,” said Wagner.
Although individual effort is heavily required as an actor or set member, the production’s success depends on collaboration among the cast, and Spartan theatre works hard to ensure that expectation is met.
“There’s been a lot of communication between people, saying, ‘this is what my character thinks and this is what I want’ which makes the overall experience very solid,” said Harper.
That sense of unity and high determination has become especially important as the group gets ready to perform Macbeth as their Cappies show.
“[Cappies] is basically the Oscars for high school theater, critics will come to see the show and pick the one they like the best. Then we get a copy of all the reviews written about our show to reflect on,” said Wagner.
But before any reviewes are written, the most important moment still lies ahead: stepping onto the stage and bringing the story to life.
As opening night approaches and the months of preparation are in the past, the cast and crew set the stage. When the
lights come on, Macbeth becomes more than a performance to be judged, it becomes a chance to celebrate teamwork, creativity, and growth, alongside friends.
For Spartan Theatre, there’s always more to look forward to. Performing two shows each year, the spring musical promises another chance to see the talent and hard work each student has put in.
