Musical theatre brings me so much joy that it is never a burden …

As a Grade 11 IBDP student, one of the first questions I get from people after hearing of my significant time commitments to Musical Theatre is “how?” How do I manage to balance rehearsals every Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday (and the occasional Sunday) with internal assessments, extended essays, and mock exams? The answer is simple: because musical theatre brings me so much joy that it is never a burden. Right from the start of this academic year, the prospect of rehearsal instantly brightened my Mondays. Rehearsal Saturday from 10 am till 4 pm? Not a problem. Musical Theatre has been a chance to interact and forge connections with fantastic people across grade levels, to apply oneself in a creative and collaborative manner, and to spend many minutes doubled over from laughter. Rehearsals have ranged from quite literally standing on each other to lying on the floor humming to counting beats and marking breaths on our scripts. Words cannot express how grateful I am for Ajarn Ian and Ajarn Chris and all the musicians and tech crew and artists; for this ensemble and for the ability to attend, every week, a place that is nothing short of magic. There is no one I would rather share a pizza and a joke, a fiendishly challenging song, a campfire, changing room, and, of course, a stage with than the wonderful members of this ensemble. I hope you enjoy our performance at least half as much as we’ve enjoyed creating it.

Caitlin

Grade 11 IBDP Student