By Carla Cosajay Catalan, Staff Writer | March 13, 2023
Photo Courtesy of Associated Press
On March 24th, 25th, and 26th, Carson High’s Theatre and Stage Tech program will be bringing a famous musical, Hairspray, to Carson Complex.
Hairspray is set in the 60s in the city of Baltimore with the main protagonist being a plus sized high school girl, Tracy Turner, who dreams to dance on the “Corny Collins Show”. When her dream comes true, Tracy turns from being an outcast into a shining star. However, she soon realizes that there are many barriers preventing equitability on TV.
“I feel excited about it because it is about bringing cultures together and that's something that I'm very passionate about, and so, I'm hoping that it's going to be well received and people will get a really good message from it” said Carson High’s Stage Tech Teacher, Mrs. Kadota.
Currently, students from the cast and tech are learning more about the play’s story line. When that's done, theater and tech students will start working on the production, like helping with building of the set and props.
“The cast for the play is having rehearsals in music, in dance, and in acting. They are a fantastic group of young people who are very excited. [They] come to rehearsal filled with enthusiasm and motivation to work”, said Hairspray’s director Mrs. Barryte.
When the rehearsals start, students on this production will be required to attend the run-throughs in order to have an understanding of what their jobs are, especially for those who are working for lighting and sound.
Lighting and sound require a lot of planning.
Lighting helps with setting the show's sense of mood and atmosphere. It gives the audience an idea of where and when the story is taking place, whether the scene is during the day or night. Just like lighting, sound also helps with the show's feeling by creating suspense or other moods such as fear to heighten the atmosphere.
Funding is also an important factor.
According to Mrs. Kadota, the production’s funds come from fundraising through the help of PAL, a parent organization that helps advocate for the program. The program also hopes for good ticket sales which will help with necessities required for the show.
Other important roles are the set work artists, who work with students, and the musicians who will provide live music from the pit.
Just like Hairspray, Carson High’s theater and tech program is helping to unify students together to make a successful production. If you wish to join this movement, this union, you can reach out to Mrs. Kadota by visiting her in room C7.
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