Times are changing in the Harrison High School Creative Arts Theatre, and how you feel about may depend on how much you like a fully staged song and dance number.
Many schools with drama clubs perform two shows every school year; a play in the fall, and a musical in the spring. For many years, our Harrison Drama team has kept a different structure, one that had students performing in two musicals a year. For two years in 2019 and 2020, we added a third show in the winter with the production of Noises Off and Clue, but recently, we have been back to two musicals a year. However, coming to the stage in October, will be our first play since April 2022: This Murder Was Staged.
Drama students had many different opinions when this change was announced. According to a quick poll of some Drama Club members, eleven out of twelve claimed they were more excited about the upcoming musical in the spring than they were about the play in the fall. However, the responses many of them gave were very positive toward the idea of having both a play and a musical.
Klaytin Jenkins, Junior and performer in Drama Club was very enthusiastic about the play, claiming, “I like the one play and one musical because not all kids want to just sing, but act.” Jenkins stated that it was a good change because of the many opportunities that it created.
Another student agreed with this, saying, “I like having the plays because it gives non-singers a bigger opportunity to act.” According to these members, incorporating a play into the theater schedule will allow many more actors and actresses who don’t enjoy the musical side of drama club to perform without the added pressure of singing and dancing.
Another excellent point in favor of the play, which was brought up by Junior Kora Doolan, was that many students simply don’t have time to get involved with a musical. According to her, “This change not only provides more students with a chance to showcase their acting talents and passions but also makes more room in the fall for students to focus on their classes and studying.” While Doolan expressed her disappointment with the loss of a musical, she makes a compelling argument. Plays are often much shorter than musicals and are easier to produce. In musicals, actors must learn songs, choreography, and dialogue, while plays have simpler sets, no dance routines, and no additional songs. This leads to shorter rehearsals and an earlier general release window. The performance date for the fall musical at Harrison is November, but this year’s play will occur during late October.
While several performers considered the change to be a positive development, others disagreed. One student said, “The diversity is nice this year, but for me personally, I would rather go watch the play than participate in it.” Other students agreed with this statement, highlighting their appreciation for diversity in this year’s schedule, but wishing they could be involved in another musical. Senior William Simpson III shared, “I don’t think the plays will be as fun as musicals and won’t bring a big audience which is discouraging to people performing.” Simpson may have preferred the idea of a musical, but he also stated that he was happy for others who would have a chance to act without having to sing.
Some members even changed their minds after attending the first rehearsal for the fall production. Another Junior, Gabe Ashcraft said, “At first I was a good mix of disappointed and excited because I’ve wanted to do a play for a while, but I had really grown to love the musicals. But after the first rehearsal I am super excited for the play.” Another student said, “I think it’s important that we do plays and that we hone in on our acting skills; I just wish it didn’t come at the sacrifice of a musical.” According to this student, a perfect world would consist of a fall musical, a play in the winter to add diversity, and one more musical to wrap up the year in the spring, similar to what the school offered in the past.
Overall, most of the students involved in the drama club at Harrison High School are more excited for the musicals they know and love than they are for plays that they are less familiar with. Despite this, they are also very open to new ideas which will take shape in the form of a play this October. One thing we can know for certain is that the Creative Arts Theatre is just as popular as always and has the full support of the performers and backstage members who have allowed the creativity to continue flowing through Harrison, and just because you’re not familiar with This Murder Was Staged doesn’t mean it won’t be a great show!
