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Stepping up to the stage

When I was graduated from high school and college, I thought I was done repeatedly going over lines in preparation of a stage production. Then along comes Dr. Fox and the Nosy Pig.

For those of you who don’t know, this story of talking animals and learning to be yourself is what students in the Lights On program have been rehearsing and preparing for the past couple weeks, with opening “night” this Wednesday (Oct. 17).

Not only have they been practicing their lines, but also getting involved with set and costume production, learning about everything that goes into a theater production. In helping my son go over his lines, I was struck by a prominent memory of what I believe was my first time in a stage production — graduation from Honey Bear Preschool.

Though I may have been in plays prior to this, the graduation sticks out in my mind due to one picture. The caption below it reads something like, “Paying more attention to the camera than singing is Marcus Dykes.” Sure enough, there I am staring a bit to hard at the lens while my classmates sing about their ABCs, shapes and colors. Certainly not my proudest moment, but perhaps even then I was becoming enamored with the newspaper business. More likely, the flash stole my attention.

Continuing to reminisce about my limited theater experience in my school days, I never realized like I do now just how much goes into students’ performance. Certainly drama springs to mind first when talking about taking the stage, but what about speech, debate, band and choir? And that’s only taking the literal meaning. Our Bobcats and Lady Cats are also taking to a stage of sorts when they hit the fields, courses, mats and courts.

Our Thermopolis students are putting the effort behind doing what they love and it shows, and with the support of the community that tradition will continue. So, whether you come out to a football game, attend a concert and/or play, or listen to a speech, come see the stages our students are performing on.

 

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