Theater programs prepare students for more than just the stage

With the opening performance just days away, Hillcrest High theater students are putting the final touches on their upcoming performance of "Fiddler on the Roof." 

"We're here for hours every day," said Gabrielle Brookshier, the student and assistant director for the musical. 

Spending lots of time before the big show is a common theme among theater students. 

"So I in a day, I probably spend about 10 hours here, and that's just while I'm here. When I go home, I constantly read my scripts, I constantly go over my songs just to make sure I'm doing everything that I can do everything that I can to tell this character," said Preston Scott, who plays Tevye, the lead character in the play. 

Besides time management, students say working on the play teaches them a lot of skills that are just as useful on the stage as they are off. 

"You learn how to work together as a group and just to have fun with what you're doing," said Jayden Gravatt a performer and lighting tech.  "We spend countless hours together, working on this and doing the lights and the sound for it. I've learned so much from doing it and from this place."

"This show particularly has taught me a lot of history of the Jewish tradition, the Jewish religion and what not, and just to persevere and get through things," said Brookshier

Plus, theater is a place that forces people to get out of their comfort zone, something that the teachers say helps them become more understanding of others. 

"I don't teach these kids to become Broadway singers and Broadway actors. I teach them to become effective human beings and how to learn how to feel confident for their job interviews or when they're giving a presentation for their businesses," said Alyssa Herrin, the Hillcrest High Theater/Drama teacher. "They learn so much from acting like how to be empathetic human beings. If I can teach a teenager how to be empathetic to the world, I've made a huge difference."

The Hillcrest High performance of "Fiddler on the Roof" happens on April 25, 26, and 27 at 7:00 P.M. each day in the Hillcrest High auditorium. Tickets are $6 for students and children, $8 for adults.