Each year, the drama department works to put on shows that hundreds in the community come to watch. On April 17, 28 drama students were informed they would be recognized for all their hard work by being inducted into the Thespian Society. This email was not a shock though, because to get inducted, they had to keep track of how many points they got over their time in drama. To become a member, students must accumulate 20 Thespian points [200 hours] by doing things like working backstage, taking drama classes, and performing in shows. Because it takes so long to accomplish the necessary amount of points, students tend to be inducted around their sophomore or junior years.
“Around the end of their sophomore, year most earn enough points to be inducted,” drama director Ben Cossitor said. “Some kids that take my classes get in a little bit earlier, but the average would be the end of sophomore year.”
One of these sophomores is Camille Krug who first got involved with theater her freshman year as a way to meet new people. Originally, she thought she’d stay behind the scenes, but soon enough, she fell in love with acting.
“I was coming to a new school with people I didn’t know, so I was just looking for a club to join,” Krug said. “My friend convinced me to join the actual production side of things and it’s been something I’ve done ever since.”
Even though Krug loves the theater program, she admits sometimes it can be stressful, especially with balancing academics- something thespians have to be careful about since there is a GPA requirement.
“During show week, we were in dress rehearsal from right after school to eight, so it’s a lot,” Krug said. “In a regular week, we won’t have rehearsal every day, but the days we do they might be three or four hours. That digs into my time for schoolwork.”
For many who work behind the scenes, including 2023 inductee junior Eli Rosenberry, being initiated as a Thespian is a recognition for all this hard work they put into drama.
“Being backstage, we don’t often get a lot of the glamor that actors get. It also provides us with scholarship and field trip opportunities we otherwise wouldn’t get,” Rosenberry said.
Becoming a member also comes with its unexpected perks, but enjoyed by many in the drama department including junior Karinna Wolfe.
“It’s given me an opportunity to branch out into other things that I otherwise would not have been interested in. This is my first year actually acting and it’s been a lot more fun than I thought it would be,” Wolfe said.
The newest members’ induction ceremony is to be held Wednesday, May 7 in the Black Box theater.
