Manhasset Secondary School theater is one of the most exciting clubs/classes in Manhasset Secondary School. There are two theater classes– Theater in Action, which is an introduction to theater, and Repco, which is a more advanced class focusing on the study and productions of small plays. Repco also produces plays such as Little Women. There is also the Thespian Honor Society; any student can join, although students must have an enormous number of hours with Manhasset theater.

Many students dedicate their after-school time to prepare for musicals and shows, such as Anastasia, Addams Family, Much Ado, and any play/musical the school has produced. Students are in charge of producing four day musicals and two day plays in hopes of having all show nights to sell out. One month before the school year, students in the theater department will come into the school and prepare for building, as they handle lumber orders and organize the shop from two by fours to every color of paint. What does running crew do before the school year? You may ask. Running crew preps the set shop and does a more extensive cleaning on the stage in the auditorium from the previous show. While running crew preps for building, actors prepare for their auditions. Hoping to get the role of their choice. Students in Manhasset theater have different roles, such roles include: acting, running crew, stage managing, hair and makeup, quick changes, lighting and sound, props director, technical director, and many more.

Behind the scenes of all the glitz and glamor are the hardships of everything coming together little by little. Running crew builds all the sets by hand, months in advance in both the auditorium and set shop. It takes about two to three months to create a set like Anastasia or Much Ado. And while running crew works on sets, actors are hard at work memorizing their script. Both actors and running crew dedicate countless hours to surprise everyone with an amazing finishing product. One week previous to the show is hell week. Hell week is the most stressful week as it consists of: full dress rehearsals, staying until ten pm each night even if it’s a school night, fixing sets, fixing costumes, blocking, making every small adjustment noticeable from the audience’s point of view.

With months of hard work leading to the night of the show. Thirty minutes before the show actors, running crew, and directors will all round up in a circle to honor each senior leaving the following year. While theater might sound very stressful and tedious, you make new friends and have a lot of fun. As each show goes by, seventh graders to high-school seniors join Manhasset theater each show. Manhasset theater is what I’d like to say is one of the best after-school programs Manhasset has to offer. With such a welcoming environment and countless opportunities. You can never get bored as there will always be something to do, from constructing sets to making costumes.