Galesburg Junior Senior High School

What inspired your interest in joining the Theater program?

My sophomore year, SpongeBob needed more stagehands, so as a favor to one of my friends in tech at the time, I joined for tech week. Then I decided I wanted to try acting after seeing the play that goes wrong, and enjoying the character Perkins

What is one of your favorite memories of being involved with theater?

During “The Play That Goes Wrong,” the crew decided to play pranks on the cast by putting lemon juice instead of water in their drinks. When I noticed it was lemon juice was hilarious, but when it was thrown in my face was even funnier because it made the scene more real. 

What skills/lessons have you learned that will be valuable in your future?

There are a lot of skills I’ve learned from being in theatre, but one of the most important, I think, has to be the ability to adapt to a mistake while staying who you need to be in the moment. Being able to respond without losing my head is very handy.

How has theater impacted your life "off the stage"?

Theatre has made so many friends for me. There are a lot of people I would never have talked to without theatre. 

What advice would you give younger students about being involved?

Just do it. It seems scary and stressful, but as long as you go into it with a positive attitude and are there to have a good time, then it’s not that bad. You’ll have plenty of friends (a lot of whom you might not have known before) there right alongside you.

What inspired your interest in joining the Theater program?

When I first joined theatre, I signed up in my freshman year when the school presented all the clubs and organizations you could join. I have always thought about theatre, so when a girl named Lindsey shouted at people to join the theatre, I did, and now I've been stuck in it for four years, meeting my people and growing my confidence.

What is one of your favorite memories of being involved with theater?

My favorite memory from the theater is the moment before opening night when the cast is pouring our hearts out about how proud we are of each other, how we have grown as people and as a cast, and when Mr. Ullrich says we have a show. It proves all the hard work and the trials and losses we faced during the months of rehearsal have paid off. 

What skills/lessons have you learned that will be valuable in your future?

I've learned confidence and much patience. I've been around to see how different people pursue theatre and how they act and behave, and it opened my eyes to different perspectives on confidence. Patience is a virtue you have to have in theatre. I usually don't have a lot of it, but I know I do when theatre rehearsals test that patience every day, but those are my friends and people I don't mind being with, so I don't mind that much. 

How has theater impacted your life "off the stage"?

The first thing is, theatre taught me that family doesn't have to be blood. It sounds cheesy, but it is true. In the theatre program, there are many "family units" where previous seniors claim underclassmen as their "children," and it's been a running thing since I joined. Everyone in the program is my friend or someone I could consider family, and that means everything to me. It taught me to value my friendships and the relationships I build in school because those connections will stick with me. It's also a tradition for previous seniors to come back to watch the underclassmen shows as a way to stay connected.

What advice would you give younger students about being involved?

Do it, do it, do it, do it. Theatre has been in my life for four years, and I have built life-lasting relationships from it. I found my best friend through theatre and some of my biggest inspirations in theatre. My biggest advice is to join it and test it out, that's what I did, and I loved it, and if you don't, then you don't. One thing about theatre, since it is very time-consuming is you have to WANT it. It takes time from your personal life, and it does get stressful, but it is worth every second of it, I promise. Especially tech week, it's a week where you run the show from 3-6 every day, leading up to the show, and you can't miss school or rehearsal, you have to be there, which can become exhausting, but it's so worth it. There's no other way to describe it. So, join the theatre, and if you like it, stick with it. It can help you grow in so many ways. If you don't, go find something you do. It's high school. Go be active and join the school. It will make your experience so much better once you're a part of something. 

What inspired your interest in joining the Theater program?

I’ve always loved watching plays and musicals, and being on a stage performing. Theater has also always been a good way for me to express myself and my emotions. 

What is one of your favorite memories of being involved with theater?

One of my favorite things about theater is the moments right before the show. When we are all getting the show ready, playing music to hype us up, and singing along. Then, 10 minutes before our show begins, we are holding hands in a circle, telling everyone how proud we are of everyone, and we recognize some of our favorite things about each person. 

What skills/lessons have you learned that will be valuable in your future?

Being involved in theater has taught me how to have confidence. It’s helped me not be afraid to be myself and to be better at public speaking. 

How has theater impacted your life "off the stage"?

Since joining, I’ve met some of my best friends. I can’t imagine life without them now.

What advice would you give younger students about being involved?

Theater can be very exciting because very scary at the same time. Don’t let that shy you away from it. Try your best and don’t be afraid to do things out of your comfort zone, everyone will support you. Lastly, theater is a learning experience, so don’t beat yourself up if you don’t get what you want in the beginning, because your time will come. 

What inspired your interest in joining the Theater program?

I've always enjoyed music and stories, and once I found out they could be combined, I never looked back! I started doing community theatre at 5 as a mouse in Cinderella.

What is one of your favorite memories of being involved with theater?

My favorite memory that comes to mind is in SpongeBob, my sophomore year, when we had to delay the show because we had sold out and needed to find more seating. The idea that we broke attendance records was so amazing, I can't remember feeling anything like it! The number of kids who loved that show always warms my heart.

What skills/lessons have you learned that will be valuable in your future?

I think the skill of communication has been the most beneficial. There are a lot of big personalities in theatre, and sometimes we clash over stuff, especially with us being near each other for so long. How to communicate with others and healthily manage stress is one of the skills from theatre I will never forget.

How has theater impacted your life "off the stage"?

Theatre has made me a much more confident person in general, and I like to think a happier one. Whenever I'm having a bad day and I step on stage, it instantly gets better. I may have a headache, but my character sure doesn't! That relenting optimism is something I carry with me in my daily life, and I'm thankful for the boost in mood it gives me.

What advice would you give younger students about being involved?

I would say to go for it! Everyone in our theatre department is extremely supportive and kind; we will all help you if you need it. Plus, theatre is an excellent way to make new friends and try new things; at the very least, you will be walking away with a new and fun experience.