By CHLOE ALEXANDER – Variety Editor
The Clarke Central High School Drama Club is unfairly judged by the majority of the student body.
Every year, the Clarke Central High School Drama Club puts on three to five productions. They spend countless hours rehearsing and the cast members expend boundless effort in order to produce each show.
Students in the Clarke Central High School Drama Club are unfairly criticized for the caliber of their productions by the CCHS student body. Cartoon by Audrey Hinkle.
However, despite hard work and dedication, drama productions are met with apathy and harsh judgment from the student body. Common responses often include, “The Drama Club sucks. They should do something cool like High School Musical.”
This attitude is one of ignorance.
While one can say that the Drama Club lacks refinement, lack of effort is not the leading cause. The Drama Club has limitations, making every step of the production process a laborious one.
According to CCHS fine arts department teacher and Drama Club advisor Harriet Anderson, the first step of production, the decision about which show to put on, depends on a multitude of factors.
“First, can we do it? Can we feasibly, physically mount that production well? How many set changes? How many costume changes? What are the talent requirements? Does everybody have to sing operetta or can they push through and do OK?” Anderson said.
Just by nature, theater itself is a small niche within the fine arts, attracting only those who are willing to go on stage in front of hundreds of people.
Because of this, depending on the show, CCHS has a varying pool of students interested in drama from which to cast. Shows that incite little interest from the student body often have a small turnout for auditions.
“There have been times when kids have wanted to do certain shows, but we just haven’t had the bodies to do it,” CCHS English department teacher and Drama Club co-adviser Jacob Reuse said.
In addition to the lack of actors, the Drama Club’s funding from the school district is nonexistent. According to Anderson, the only support they receive is the use of the facility, namely, E.B. Mell Auditorium. The club raises all of its funds through ticket and ad sales for the show programs.
Money affects every element of production. In order to put on a play or musical, the drama department must first rent the rights from a theater company. The cost depends on certain variables, such as duration of the play, house size and ticket price.
“They rent it to you by production,” Anderson said. “We did Chicago several years ago, but we did that with Cedar Shoals (High School) because it costs so much. We couldn’t afford the rights.”
Likewise, the Drama Club cannot use shows that require extravagant sets and costumes due to the lack of funds. This prevents members from putting on certain musicals, as the club would have to make or purchase new costumes.
Despite a tight budget, Drama Club members dedicate massive amounts of time for preparation and rehearsals.
“I don’t think people realize that in addition to rehearsals, we have to come in on Saturdays and Sundays to build sets,” Anderson said.
According to Anderson, students in Drama Club spend five days a week in rehearsal during the six to 10 weeks of production. While the first four weeks only require about two hours of rehearsal a night, Drama Club members spend 20-40 hours a week in rehearsal during the last two weeks before opening night.
Doesn’t this kind of time commitment deserve recognition?
If students are spending the entirety of their after-school hours working hard on something they feel passionate about, they should be rewarded for their efforts.
The members of the Drama Club pour every fiber of their being into these productions. Does it matter if they do not perform at the same caliber as a Broadway production?
The intention of high school theater is to provide students with the experience of being in a production, no matter the scope of it.
Meet some of the cast of the upcoming musical, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum.
