Where can you be a part of a family? Theatre. Who puts in days and months into their passion? Thespians. Thespians at our school dedicate hours and hours of their time for theatre, and they were recently recognized for their efforts. In early October, several theatre students from Wilcox were inducted into the International Thespian Society for earning the most points for the number of hours they worked in the theatre. The ITS (International Thespian Society) point system keeps track of these points by tracking how much acting, producing, or other help thespians do for multiple productions. For a thespian it is a great honor, and for all of the Wilcox community it is a great pleasure to see these students recognized.

Gabriella Clark, a senior who has been in theatre for all four years, has worked around 210 hours stage managing, acting, and much more. To several of the inductees, it “means a lot,” says Clark. “It’s cool for people to know.” During previous years, a number of the inductees went to the California State Thespian Festival at Upland High School in Los Angeles, a very exciting opportunity for many of the students. Although they do not have the chance to go this year, being inducted is nonetheless a very exciting honor. Also, for many of the other inductees, they felt great honor for being recognized by their hard work. At Wilcox, students are largely recognized in sports rather than art programs such as theatre, so it makes theatre students feel spectacular when they are honored for their tremendous work.

In the next coming months, the thespians hope to gather a big audience for their fall show Frankenstein. This year, all of the shows will fall under the same theme: Beauty Within Ugliness. Frankenstein is the fall show which is run by the Wilcox Stage Company. It is about a man who believes he has conquered death in a horrifying way when he creates a monster out of old body parts.

One of the main goals that the theatre students have is to “put on a story that is classic and to be able to tell it with integrity,” explains Clark. The process of preparing the show begins early September and usually takes around a month and a half. The whole cast and crew work three days a week two hours a day putting together the correct lights, sound, and makeup. They undergo several challenges including memorizing lines in a limited amount of time. Sometimes they even stay at school late at night adding finishing touches after dress rehearsals or cleaning up after shows. Tickets for Frankenstein will be on sale beginning November 4th and the cast and crew hope to see you there.

You might think this sounds like a lot of work, but to the Wilcox Stage Company it is worth it. “The work you put in is rewarding when the show is successful,” explains Samantha Clark, a junior involved in Wilcox’s theatre program. Her sister, Gabrielle Clark, says, “Not only are we building and performing for ourselves but then we get to share it with others in a way that other sports don’t get to.” Also, all of the preparations and rehearsals leading up to shows are a “fun experience,” explains Zoey Martin, a junior. Martin continues, however, by saying, “You also need to give the show all of your 110 percent.” Theatre is not something that you can get through with a brief amount of labor. It requires commitment and loads of hard work, but the product is something beautiful.

Despite how much work and commitment theatre requires, theatre boasts a tightly-woven community that is held together by mutual love and interest. Theatre is a place where thespians can share a common passion and be themselves. “Theatre is more of a family thing,” says Sara Norris, a senior at the Wilcox Stage Company. They all fight, argue, love, and support each other through all the hardships of theatre. Over time, they become close and grow into a beautiful family. According to senior Hagen Hilderbrandt, “Theatre is definitely one of those things where if you are doing it you love doing it.”

Thespians enjoy being a part of this family because it is where they feel encouraged to be themselves and where they have peers who share their passion. There is almost nowhere else that you can have a family support you and where you can see the results so vividly.