Plays can be dated back to as early as the fifth century. From the very first years of drama, theater has been an iconic part of global history. A lot of times we appreciate the show itself, but how often do we think about the events leading up to it? What does it take to prepare such a massive production containing so many precise details? 

Padua’s theater program has been around for years. The program has featured many popular productions such as; Anything Goes, Into The Woods, The Addams Family and so much more. Every year the plays have been successful and impressive. This year’s production is Mamma Mia. 

Emily Quinn, one of the student producers this year, who has been doing plays throughout her entire high school career says, “This is the first high school production that I’ve put on and I’m so excited to see that through completely. I really like how fun it is, along with the connection it has to Padua especially with Mamma Mia 2 coming out last year. Its message is women supporting women.”

The musical isn’t set to be live until February, but we’ve already bought new stages for school in preparation for the big night. So much effort is put into little details that can make or break the entire show. Sometimes you have to adjust lines or change its delivery to improve the actors enthusiasm. It’s important that the actors always put themselves in the shoes of their roles. 

Caroline Achenbach, another one of the student producers says, “my favorite part of rehearsals is when it starts to get all put together and we can start running it and working less on memorizing movements or words and just start focusing on what we’re saying and how we want to say it.” 

 One of the cast members talks about the few weeks prior to the play being the most frustrating. “The weeks leading up to it are always stressful. It’s like we’re all the sudden ready to do the thing that we’ve been thinking about and planning or rehearsing for. You want it to be as good as the work you put in,” says Achenbach.