Theatre Undiscovered: A Year in Review

At the end of each GBN production's final Saturday night performance, the cast and crew gather and begin to strike the set. We work diligently to clear the stage, and, after creating a completely unique world in the CPA, the entirely of it all is gone in under two hours. Before departing for the cast party, however, we all gather in the center section of CPA to reflect and pass out cast gifts. After each and every production, this process is exactly the same. Once it's all over, Ms. Robinson sits on the edge of the stage with a bare set behind her, gazing out into an empty audience, and gives the same speech—one I will never forget.

She talks about how important it is to look upon an empty stage at the end of a production. After building up a set, working on acting, coordinating technical cues, inputting lights—effectively creating an entirely new world on the stage—we must look back once it is all gone to admire and reflect. Theatre is ephemeral; no production is permanent. But the memories and lessons learned stay.

Every finale calls for some celebration!
The ending pose of this year's "Legally Blonde: The Musical"

In the same vein as our post-production routine, the end of my high school experience calls for some admiration and reflection. At times it's hard to believe that this chapter of my life is finally ending, and I worry about how I will react to such a drastic life change. However, in a way, I have experienced change through theatre throughout my high school career. Productions come and go every year, and, while we often can't imagine how the next production could possibly live up to the expectations of the previous production, they still improve every time. Change is often difficult, but the mark of a good performer is the ability to adapt to change and move along with it.

Over the years, I have learned a lot about myself through theatre. From my first production on a GBN stage, "Air Guitar High," to "Legally Blonde," my last, I have never been bored or felt intellectually unchallenged in the Glenbrook North Theatre Department. Above all else, I have acquired a killer eye for detail as well as a motivational work ethic. I often take the lessons that theatre has taught me for granted, convinced that if not for theatre, I would still learn these lessons elsewhere. However, theatre has proven instrumental in my development as a young adult, and it has permanently shaped me in more ways than one. For that reason, I can't imagine my life without theatre.

College is a time of discovery. That was the goal of this blog: discovery. However, since the magical world of theatre often throws curveballs, I am convinced that I will never truly discover theatre. There will always be more to find, more to discover, and more to appreciate. There will always be lessons to learn, memories to share, and growth to achieve. Though theatre has proved undiscoverable, I am thrilled that I have been lucky enough to join for the ride over these last four years, and I can't wait to continue discovering theatre throughout high school and the rest of my life.