Why High School Theater is Just as Hard as Sports

I started doing theater when I was in the fifth grade and continued it throughout high school.

When I got to high school, the theater department was always shunned in favor of the various sports teams we had.

This made me very angry because us theater kids were busting our butts just as hard as the atheletes and yet we received no acknowledgment.

So here are a few reasons why theater in high school is just as hard as being on a sports team.

1) Theater is usually more completitive than sports

The first show I auditioned for my freshman year of high school had 10 people in it: five women and five men.  Around 40 people auditioned.  Cuts have to be made and we are just as if not more competitive than sports teams because we are fighting for a very small number of spots.  Plus, these roles are not equal.  You have lead roles, secondary roles, walk-on roles and ensemble roles.  Of course, we want the lead role so we are going to fight tooth and nail for it.

2) We put in long hours, too

Rehearsals were usually two to two and a half hours long, but we would also come in on the weekends to build and paint sets or use our free period during the day to rehearse or put something together for the show.  When it got close to tech week and opening night, we could be rehearsing until eight or nine o' clock at night, sometimes later.  Then during performances, the show wouldn't be over until around 10 at night so we were always exhausted.

3) We get hurt, too

Many atheletes may consider theater to be a "sissy" thing, but it can actually be dangerous.  My drama teacher would always tell us of how a set caught on fire during one of her shows and the whole auditorium had to be evacuated.  I sprained my foot during a rehearsal and then performed the show on it two days later.  I've seen people fall and hit their heads and then go on performing.  Playing sports is dangerous, but theater has its risks too, and we usually perform through the pain.


Break Legs,
Sydney