How to Act Like A High School Student
“As they say in the theatre: you may leave the show, but the show never leaves you. ”
I viscerally remember the feeling of walking into the audition room for Mamma Mia: I was excited but really nervous. I could barely contain my emotions as I walked through the security gate. My Dad had told me, countless times, that I’d find friends in the theatre. As someone who’s struggled to find my people, this seemed like a definite plus. With all the confidence my eighth-grade self could muster, I strode into the audition room, rang out a song from Hamilton, and a monologue from The Tempest. I left ready and excited about future possibilities. In the middle of the summer, I received an email saying I was cast in the ensemble. When I told my Dad, our faces both lit up, and I started jumping up and down with excitement. When I told him, “Oh my God!” I thought. “This is going to be so fun.
Roughly one and a half months of rehearsal flew by, and the infamous “tech week” was upon us. We were in for rehearsals from 3:30 to 8:00, with no proper dinners in sight. At first, my friends and I were satisfied by the pretzels on the snack cart, but soon realized they weren’t sufficient. I soon turned to the delight of all college students—microwave Ramen noodle soup—and I never looked back. My fellow actor Simona Lewis spent a good five minutes of her break showing me how to make this culinary delight. That never would have happened had I not auditioned for the musical.
There wasn’t much time to make Ramen anymore, however, because it was suddenly show week. The production we had spent countless hours on, with countless rehearsals devoted to learning choreography and complex harmonies, was finally happening. Like my feelings at the audition, I was nervous but excited. The latter won out, and each performance was more exhilarating than the last.
But for me, the car rides home were the most fun. One of the close friends I made during the musical lives just across the bridge from me, and each night, we carpooled home together. We’d spend twenty minutes in her mom’s car yelling at each other in Hebrew while screaming “Voulez-Vous” and “Lay All Your Love on Me.” I never expected to make such close friends as a result of Mamma Mia, but I soon learned that the collective experience of making it through a musical brings people together.
Freshman Sabine Sulka agrees, noting that she joined the musical for a similar reason, to meet people and make connections. Without a moment’s notice, she added that she would definitely do it again. And the truth is, I feel the same way.
It’s been two and a half months since Mamma Mia!, and I catch myself singing the music on a regular basis. As they say in the theatre: you may leave the show, but the show never leaves you. Furthermore, I believe that the friendships I have made will never leave me either. Hopefully, there will be no permanent repercussions of months without a proper dinner.
