From casting to the opening day, the process behind putting on a play is a complex one.

The freshman play is an annual production with a uniquely ninth grade cast. This year’s production, “The Rehearsal,” tells the story of high school students putting on a play. The production was performed on Oct. 18th, 19th, 20th and 21st. Besides creating a quality play, the biggest outcome of the play will be the instructional process that will allow performers to develop a strong foundation for the rest of their theater careers at the high school.

According to Director Eleana Maimonis the auditions offer a low-stakes opportunity for students, and students are not required to memorize any lines before their auditions. Casting for the play is a complex process that requires the creative eye of the director to see which people are best fits for each role, as they tend to cast everyone who auditions.

Sophomore and stage manager Ellie Tytell was an actor in last year’s freshman play and witnessed the behind the scenes of the casting process for the first time this year.

“Our director is given the script and has to match [actors to] the characters, which can be really difficult. We saw that process for the first time this year, and it was super interesting and much harder than we anticipated,” Tytell said.

The freshman play is a huge commitment for ninth graders, who spend every day after school at rehearsal, along with the occasional hours spent building the set on the weekends.

Rehearsals start with sophomore stage managers Tytell and Harper Dresser, who lead up warm-ups and games. Then starts the practicing of lines, dances and scenes. The actors are expected to come prepared to rehearse and be active members of the creative process. Maimonis gives lots of guidance to the freshmen as many of them have never acted before.

“I’d say at the beginning, I really take time to lay out expectations about what high school theater is about, and sort of guide them along the process. Once they enter the next set of multi-grade shows, it’s expected that they have that under their belt,” Maimonis said.

As opening day approaches, the final touches of the play start to fall into place. Two weeks before the play is tech week, during which actors rehearse in full costumes with props as they do full run-throughs of the play.

During tech week, any adjustments made to lighting play an important role in adding ambiance and setting the right mood for the audience. Freshman Chora Shelplays the role of Savannah, a senior aspiring for the lead role of her highschool play, but fails. According to Shel, during tech week actors are often told to stop what they’re doing so that the lighting can be fixed. Shel said she found the coming together of the play satisfying. This is a crucial time for the evolution of the play and, in Shel’s opinion, it is likely the most important week of the whole process.

“I would say what is really interesting is how everything comes together, because most plays usually don’t involve singing and dancing, and right now we are rehearsing for our dance.” Shel said.

The freshman play is an opportunity for those interested in theater to have an introduction to high school theater. Shel advocates for students to join the freshman play as it has been a valuable experience for her. Through rehearsals Shel was able to engage in her school community while making connections with her peers, an important aspect of high school life.

“A lot of people I have noticed want to do theater but are scared of being made fun of, because theater kids are weird, I’d say think whatever you want, but that’s not true” Shel said. “ I have never met anyone who is rude in my theater community. I wish that we could do another play with the same group of people. It’s just a great community to be part of.