High School Musicals
Practice
Inquire if neighbors or friends have students in local theatre programs.
Invite friends. Get a group to attend together and buy tickets for the show.
Arrive on time. Ask other theatre patrons if they know someone in the performance.
Stand for the applause. Every student production deserves a standing ovation.
“We must all do theatre – to find out who we are, and to discover who we could become.”
A creative practice to love your neighbors and neighborhood is to attend a local high school musical. Supporting the arts at your local high school is an opportunity to connect with your community and communicate you care about what for many students is their annual highlight.
High school theatre teaches life lessons that cannot be taught in a classroom. Lessons about collaboration and creativity where everyone can contribute in a meaningful way. Students who study the arts learn creative problem-solving. Like team sports, it provides an opportunity to work with others to accomplish a difficult common goal. The camaraderie from the shared effort in a performance can be the foundation to building important social relationships.
Theatre can be the most memorable aspect of high school for those who participate. One student said, “It gives me a purpose, a place to fit in, a place to belong, and a place where I excel.” The performance skills of singing and acting transfer to the ability to make presentations or public speaking. Theatre in high school can be a place where the imagination of a future career is formed as it allows students to view the arts as an occupation, not just a high school hobby.
Attending a high school musical is a way to honor the commitment students in our neighborhood make to put on a show. Students and staff plan year-round and then give every day after school and weekends each season to create a show. At Lakewood High School, there are 93 students involved in making this year’s production.
Nothing lets a theatre kid know they are loved like a full auditorium on a performance night. Find a performance to attend, even if you don’t have relatives or family friends involved in the production. Show up with sincerity and curiosity. The performance may have some missteps. Remember how confident or coordinated you were in your adolescent years. Recognize all the aspects of the production and the effort it required. The show might be remarkable, and you’ll have a memorable experience to share. Most importantly, be someone who practices supporting students from your neighborhood when you stand and applaud at the end of the show.
