A Storytelling story

West High Theatre prepares for spring play

As the theater production “The Canterbury Tales” arrives on February 23rd and 24th, West High cast members, techs and directors prepare and assemble the play. 

Preparing for show night, the directors are encouraging the performers and cast members to take it a step further to ensure this play is as memorable as the last. 

“Kids all have to learn their lines. The thing that I talked to the kids about a lot is we can put on a memorized show or we can put on an act and show but you got to memorize before we can act. So it kind of depends on who, and then they’re a really small set, so that’s helpful,” the production’s director, Melissa Wingfield, said. 

While the students rehearse, and memorize their lines. The management side will get the setting, props and costumes ready for play.

“We have two months before the show. The costumes are the hardest part because they’re very medieval, which is not something you really find at thrift stores. So for most of them I’ve either made them by hand or like kind of just thrown a bunch of pieces together, so that’s probably the hardest part.” Haley Sweet, stage manager for the production says. 

As the costumes and memorization come together, students, stage managers, and directors work hard to get the play to come together.

“On the actors’ side there’s memorization. You have to know what your cues are, when to react to know who else is in your scene but on the tech side like where they’re going to be set pieces, props, costumes, hair, and makeup.” Jailie breed says.