by KIM HILSENBECK
The Hays Free Press visited the Lehman High School Theater Camp final dress rehearsal, complete with costumes, lights and the occasional burst of muted chatter from backstage. During the show, we met a sad dragon who cried because the townspeople thought she was mean. A local youngster from the town named Meg befriended the would-be beast.
The show featured children thinking up lies, townspeople rallying to kill the dragon, and the appearance of a famous dragon slayer, George, complete with a trumpeted entrance.
When two girls on stage forgot their lines, silence filled the room.
“Girls, y’all know this. Keep going. I believe in you,” said Marissa Meek, the show’s producer and Lehman’s theater teacher.
During another break in the action, two of the actors whispered back and forth, trying to tell the other what to say.
Meek told the actors, “Don’t argue, just somebody say a line.”
She coached them to keep the production moving forward; recovering is a key piece of the dramatic arts.
“We can skip ahead,” she told them.
With 20 kids in the camp, ages second through sixth grade, and 18 high school aged directors, plus a few technical assistants for lights and sound, the theater room sometimes swelled with chatter, laughter and the occasional groan when an actor missed or flubbed a line.
The show’s directors, former and current Lehman students, said they thought the camp was really fun for the younger children. It was also a teaching opportunity for many of the directors. Most said they want to continue in the dramatic arts.
Participants in the theater camp learn about acting, line memorization, listening for cues, set building, taking direction, costume making and interacting with others.
“They do theater themes, vocal drills, acting exercises,” Meek said.
The directors said they get an opportunity to learn, too, including how to have patience.
Ashley Osorio, 18, said, “It’s a really good opportunity to practice directing other people.”
Backstage, waiting for another entrance, was Angela Galeana, 9, who played the role of Meg. She said the best part about the camp is the final production.
“It’s really doing the play right now. You feel like you’re the character,” she said.
