Non-drama students join cast of recent school play
Cast of She Kills Monsters contains many new students as actors
Special to the Gazette.GBT.org Jen McDermott
Natalie Collins and Jack Dugoni participate in bows after a showing of She Kills Monsters. Multiple students outside of the drama program audition to be a part of the play She Kills Monsters.
The drama program has never failed to deliver a show loaded with talented performers.
In their most recent production, She Kills Monsters, viewers were pleasantly surprised to watch many new faces take on the big stage alongside some of Granite Bay Theater’s star actors and actresses.
Unfamiliar to drama class, but familiar to peers and teachers, these students who joined the cast of SKM decided to involve themselves in something they have never previously done.
“It’s my last year and I don’t want to regret anything,” said senior Brad Roe, “I want to be involved in everything I can before I leave and not look back knowing I didn’t at least try it.”
Additionally, senior Brayden Schauer said, “ I joined the show because a few of my friends were doing it.”
“I thought it would be a great opportunity to try something new,” Schauer said.
Navigating uncharted waters can be intimidating for many, however drama veterans quickly embraced all the new cast members, and helped in creating a welcoming environment for all.
“The drama program is so amazing, the students involved are the most fun-loving group of kids I have ever met,” said senior Kate Caulfield, “I felt like I was a part of their family the minute I decided to join”.
“I got pretty close with a ton of the drama kids,” said Roe, “Playing games backstage and laughing while being quite enough that no one could hear us was definitely a highlight.”
Although students had a lot of fun during the process, it took a considerable amount of time and effort to create the large production.
The cast began practicing months in advance to prepare for the show’s debut in February.
“We had rehearsal 2-3 hours every day,” said senior Brad Davito.
Davito said as the show progressed, their rehearsals became 3 hours and ended at 9:00pm.
“It was a big time commitment, but we had plenty of breaks between scenes to eat or do homework,” Davito said.
Under the guidance of teacher Kyle Holmes, the novice students were all able to become performers in the span of a few months.
The positive atmosphere that Holmes has cultivated in the drama program plays a fundamental role in how well the cast was able to produce the show.
“The drama culture is the so accepting and loving,” said Caulfield, “I truly think it is all because of the wonderful teacher Mr. Holmes.”
“Mr. Holmes is so great,” Schauer said, “You can tell that he really cares about his students.”
For these students, joining the cast significantly impacted their lives in a positive way.
They highly recommend anyone thinking about joining the program to do so, and encourage other students to step outside of their comfort zones to create new experiences.
“I highly recommend that everyone try drama at least once during their high school career,” Davito said, “One of my biggest regrets is having not joined the theater program sooner.”
“There is so much fun involved in acting,” Davito said, “Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there, it could be an amazing experience for you.”