Three Weeks to Great Theatre

Our annual High School Repertory Company Summer Stock production opens this Friday. Consequently, life has been pretty nuts over here at the Theatre of Western Springs. The adults involved in our production of Lucky Stiff are busy juggling directing, music and choreography not to mention figuring out the logistics of putting together a full musical in just three weeks' time. (You read that right: we do a musical in only THREE WEEKS!) The kids are running around learning lines, memorizing music, trying on costumes, designing lights, and (of course) socializing.

Yep. Summer is completely and totally crazy, and we wouldn't have it any other way. Why set ourselves up for all of this insanity? Well, the main reason is that doing a huge project in such a short time is a fantastic challenge for all of our students.

We're very fortunate to have some amazing students of all ages over at the Theatre of Western Springs. By the time they get to high school, our goal is to push them to stretch their talents and do things they might not have tried in the past. We also work very hard to give them a variety of material to explore over the course of their time with us. Sometimes that means an unusual piece like last fall's The Sparrow. Sometimes we challenge them with lots of stage combat and accents as in Treasure Island and The Shakespeare Stealer.

And then, of course, once a year we do a musical in three weeks! 

Some folks might think that such a compressed rehearsal process compromises the integrity of the finished product. In our experience, the opposite is true. With just 15 days of rehearsal (we take the weekends off), the students are often more focused than ever before. They know their time in rehearsal is precious, and so they take advantage of every single second they're here. As a result, I've seen some of the finest work take place in a ridiculously short amount of time.

Yes, teenagers can be silly and noisy. And yes, they are occasionally melodramatic. However, most of them are ready and willing to rise to a challenge, and it's a treat to watch them surprise even themselves with their talent and maturity.

These three weeks of madness are well worth it.

Performances of Lucky Stiff are July 27 & 28 at 7:30pm and July 28 & 29 at 2:30pm. To reserve tickets to this weekend's production or to learn more about The Theatre of Western Springs, call 708-246-4043 or visit www.theatreofwesternsprings.com