You Perform How You Practice

"You play like you practice, and you practice how you play," (Marcus Lutrell). Although this is a common idea in the athletic field, it applies to theatre production too. In our world, the hours of collective rehearsal directly translate into our performance. There is a common misconception that “theatre kids” are playing dress-up through dramatic gestures and high emotion that can be flipped like a switch. But what the audience sees on stage isn’t a mask, it’s a mirror that reflects the cast and crew's hours of intense and vulnerable work.

This year, Hough High School is performing The Legend of Sleepy Hollow adapted by Hans and Peter Bloedel. This production is about trusting the process, as many theatrics are. Actors including myself have spent hours upon hours after school dedicated to running lines, practicing blocking, and developing a character. To ensure the audience experiences more than just an on-paper plot, actors must fully immerse themselves in their roles, no matter how big or small. I asked Audrey Prilaman, a sophomore lead, how she works to access that genuine emotion, and as she explains, it is only one piece of the puzzle. “I try to find something small in the character or moment that I can connect to, even if it’s not exactly my own experience.” Throughout difficult scenes, actors work together with the support of the director, sharing personal experiences to understand their characters’ feelings.

In the end, theatre isn't a performance of fake emotions, but a process of hard work and dedication that forges deep bonds and creative moments. And if you take one thing away from our short, 45-minute performance this year, let it be a reminder that what you see on stage is really a reflection of long hours, vulnerability, and work ethic mirrored backstage. It’s a sentiment our Hough director embodies every day. Ms. Daniels says it best: “[Acting] is a very vulnerable state because you are opening yourself up to doing and being things that may be unfamiliar or very different from what the actor is used to. They are doing it live in front of an audience where anything can happen! No matter what, they have to continue and push the story forward!”