Whether its excitement of opening night or putting in the long hours of rehearsal and planning from the thespian Bboard, theater is more than just putting on a show.

“We set the bar and make the choices on behalf of the rest of the thespians; we are a self-driven team and depend on each other,” senior Natalee Seitz said. “We are all like pillars holding the program up, it’s very important we stay working together.”

Students in these programs find a place where they can belong, express creativity, and grow. It also allows students to build confidence, form family connections, and carry skills beyond working on a stage.

Students may become involved through interest or by being enrolled in the class, others from the theater program may join thespian board by signing up during the theater season and gaining approval.

“I got involved by interest in freshman year; I was enrolled in the class; I then naturally became a member of board,” Seitz said.

Many students participate because of the bonds they have formed; many also stayed involved because they like having a role that takes care of the theater program.

“I kept going with it because it feels almost like a mini family now, and I like having a role in making stuff happen,” said senior Samuel Ham.

These students help organize rehearsals, solve problems that can cause them to go off topic, and making sure everything runs smoothly.

“Day to day in a production is mixed,” Ham said. “Some days you’re helping organize, some days it’s dealing with little problems that come up or just making sure rehearsals are running smooth. It keeps you busy but in a good way. Same with thespian board.”

They also make sure they handle the small things that might be unnoticed but are the most crucial to keeping the program running smoothly.

“The board’s main job is just keeping everything connected,” Ham said. “Like, we’re the middle ground between the directors and the students, and we make sure things don’t fall apart.”

Having dependable, skilled people with strong communication skills helps keep everything on track because that allows for everyone else to know what is going on and when it’s going on.

“A production takes a lot,” Ham said. “It’s sets, costumes, tech, actors, all of it. It’s not easy at all to keep it together, because something always seems to go wrong, but that’s kind of the fun part. Once it all comes together on stage, it makes it worth it.”