An inside look at the College Players.

Another semester has quickly come and gone. Know what else has passed? A College Players production!
For the last week of March and the first week of April, I was proud to have been a part of the spring play, Lend Me a Tenor. The show had a great soft opening on Faculty Night and we received some great feedback from professors and staff. My advisor and last semester’s Intro to Mechanical Engineering professor was there as well! The faculty provided some great feedback which helped boost our confidence and gave us the motivation to put on another six fantastic shows. The crowd turnout increased as word spread about the crazy antics of the show and the cast received more and more praise from our fellow schoolmates.

But sitting in the seats is a world of difference as to what it’s like being on stage or part of the tech crew or production staff. Let me give you a (shortened) run-through of what it’s like to put on a show from the perspective of the cast.

For us actors (yeah, the title does sound cool), call for the show is two hours before curtain call. The cast arrives tat the Gleason auditorium to meet fellow tech crew and production staff (director, assistant director, producer, etc.). We then have about an hour to get in full hair, makeup and costume. I love this part because not only do you get to play dress up at this age and not get judged (well, maybe a little) but you also get to play with makeup and make very dramatic and heavy looks in order for it to appear normal under stage lights (although it is VERY annoying to take off the pounds of makeup afterwards). This usually is also mixed in with singing along to musicals, messing around and every now and then breaking into dance in the teeny dressing room. After that madness, we have about half an hour to get pumped, get energized and brush up on a few lines here and there. Doors open to the public half an hour before show starts, so that is when we all disappear.

Then comes the fun part…acting! Truly, it is that sort of thing where you have to experience it in order to feel the incredible rush of stepping on stage for your first scene. Or maybe you’re more of a tech crew kind of person and love acting like a ninja and remaining unseen by everyone as you set props, move sets and help out actors with our diva-like requests. But, no matter what type of talent you bring to the show, we all turn into a big family as we make the show grow and develop into a memorable time.
If you have ever been interested in any aspects of theater, I suggest you join Florida Tech’s very own College Players and begin your climb to fame (more or less) right away! So, Panthers… what’s your favorite play?

If you have ever been interested in any aspects of theater, I suggest you join Florida Tech’s very own College Players and begin your climb to fame (more or less) right away! So, panthers… what’s your favorite play?