Averett’s theater students put in a lot of work behind the scenes to get productions ready to be performed. Theater performances take several steps, numerous hours, hard work, and dedication to be put together and ready to go by a set deadline.
To start the production process, the cast auditions for and is assigned to their roles for the performance. Once assigned their roles, the initial read-through of the script can begin, during the initial read-through of the script the cast can start to learn their characters and the feel of the show.
“One of my favorite parts is the initial read through with the entire cast,” DeeDee Anderson, a freshman double majoring in musical theater and biology, from Roxboro, N.C., said. “There is always so much excitement in the air as everyone reads the show for the first time, gets to see their lines, and begins to get excited about certain scenes or aspects of the production.”
The next step in the process after the read-through is blocking the show.
“After this initial rehearsal, we dive into blocking the show,” Erin Hayes, a senior majoring in aviation business and minoring in musical theater from Danville, Va., said. “All through the rehearsal process, we are implementing props and set pieces as they are available to us.”
Blocking is the step in the process where the set, characters, and prop locations are decided. Once blocking and rehearsals start an off-book date(s) is set. Off-book is a major step in the process of getting ready for the final performance, being off-book means that the cast has their lines memorized and do not need to rely on their scripts.
Memorizing the script is typically the hardest and longest part of preparing for the performance, no matter if the performer is playing one character who talks a lot or is playing multiple characters at separate times.
“Learning lines is usually what takes the longest in the process,” Isaiah Reed, a sophomore majoring in theater with a concentration in directing from Virginia Beach, Va., said. “Especially when your character never shuts up in my case.”
Reed was the lead in the Averett Theater’s most recent production of “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.”
The few final steps of putting together are tech and dress rehearsal. Tech is when all the technical elements not already being used throughout rehearsals are added in. Then before opening night, there is a dress rehearsal where the cast runs through the performance in full costume and where everything finally comes together.
“You are finally in your character costume, and it feels like the missing piece of the puzzle has just been found,” Reed said. “Suddenly everything clicks, you understand it now. You’ve got your groove and nothing can stop you! You’re ready for an audience.”
Opening night is when everyone can see all their hard work and dedication pay off by finally performing in front of an audience. The opening night comes at the end of the long weeks and nights of rehearsals with the group and practicing independently.
“Normally we rehearse five days a week, three hours a day,” Hayes said. “Adding in the memorization time needed outside of rehearsal greatly raises those numbers.”
Tons of work goes on independently for each performer in preparing for their roles during rehearsals and preparing for the start of a performance. Every person has different ways of preparing themselves individually to perform on stage.
“I try to center myself through meditation and just try to breathe and calm myself,” Matthew Smith, a freshman majoring in theater education, from Rocky Mount, Va., said. “I try not to get on my phone before a show, so I am not distracted.”
Averett’s Theater has two more performances this year; the musical production of “9 to 5” on April 10 through 12 at 7 pm and April 13 at 2 pm, along with the show choir production of “Pop Rocks” on April 24 through 25 at 7 pm.
