While many students have seen West Po’s theater productions, only a few actually know the process, hard work, and creativity it takes to put on a show. Legally Blonde opens April 27, and we’re here to lift the curtain and show you what it takes to make the stage come alive. 

Selection

The process starts with the director choosing which production to show. Mr. Omar Cruz, the drama and speech teacher who directs the show, put lots of thought into the decision. Not only do they want an entertaining show but they want a show that will resonate with the audience. 

“One of the main messages we want to convey with Legally Blonde is that, [for] the young people who are coming to see the show, it is your privilege and your responsibility to change the things in society that no longer work, to create a more positive and harmonious lifestyle where we can all be represented,” Cruz said.

While choosing the show, the director creates a conceptual statement that adds additional meaning to the performance.  “On the surface, Legally Blonde seems like a flashy, superficial, bubbly show. But the more you dig into it, it really is a story about marginalized, underrepresented people…[who] come together as a community to fight oppression,” Cruz explained. This statement also helps communicate the director’s exact vision to the tech designers. Once the tech designers (costume, set, props, light, and sound) understand the vision, they go off into their departments and try their best to bring the director’s concept to life. 

Auditions 

After choosing a show there comes auditions. For this production, auditions included a dance sequence taught on the spot, a two minute comedic monologue performed from memory, and 32 bars of a song sung acapella. Adna Omerovic, one of the seniors cast as Elle Woods, remembers her audition “going really well.” Callbacks were held the next day and focused more on the music. For this production every person got a spot, whether that meant getting a main role or being in the ensemble. 

Not only are auditions hard for the directors, as it is a very hard decision to find the perfect person to play the role, but auditions are hard for the students as well. “Over the years, [auditions have] gotten easier, but every single time it’s still nerve-wracking,” Antonio Amaral, an actor at West Po, says. 

Rehearsals

Rehearsing is the most important part of any production, where actors learn their lines, dances, songs, and blocking (where an actor stands or moves during a scene). Rehearsals are essential to producing a successful production because it allows the actors to connect with their roles and characters. “[Rehearsals are] 1000% important,” Charlotte Teeples, another senior cast as the lead, Elle Woods, said. 

Besides helping the actors learn the material, rehearsals are also important so that the cast can get to know each other. “The better chemistry you have amongst the cast, the better the show’s gonna be,” Teeples continued. 

Despite the team building and humor that goes on in rehearsals, they can be incredibly tiring. From 3:10 p.m to 6:00 p.m. every day, the ensemble is moving the entire time, whether it’s singing, acting, or dancing for the 3 hours non stop. 

“It can be exhausting, but you kinda have to keep a smile on your face the whole time,” Teeples said. “The show must go on.” 

Tech

While it’s mostly behind the scenes, tech is the backbone of all theatrical productions. They are the people who make a successful show possible. Everything on the stage, from the set and lights to the costumes, should look cohesive and complement each other. 

The set, costumes, props, lights, makeup, hair, and sound all have their own departments that work to perfect certain aspects of the show.  Having good tech for a show requires a lot of research and collaboration. The designers usually read the script a couple times so that they can get a good idea of what to make. “Tech is all about coordination and communication,” senior set designer Emmie Pereira said.

But overall, “[Tech is] working with other departments to tell the story in a way that acting doesn’t do on its own,” senior costume designer Kathleen Manning said.

Opening Night 

Finally, after all the hard work of the directors, actors, and tech crew, the production is ready for its first performance on opening night. Remember to buy tickets on westpotomactheatre.org and go see West Po’s production of Legally Blonde on April 27- May 5th!