When the word “theatre” pops into any modern audience’s mind, the term encourages visions of blinding lights, intricately woven costumes and an art form mostly enjoyed in high ceiling stages. But before these embellishments were just those on a stage speaking from the heart.

The Advanced Theatre Performance class will perform “The Complete History of Theatre Abridged” on May 19 at the Performing Arts Centre at 5 p.m.. The show is a comedic retelling of historical moments in theatre, ranging from ancient Greek times to the works of Shakespeare.

“My role is Bill, or William Shakespeare. He’s very dense and full of himself,” sophomore Savannah Hallenbeck said. “The most challenging part is the intensity [of acting] all throughout the show without stopping.”

Practices are run by sophomore Braylen Garren, the show’s stage manager. After assistant stage managing five different shows, this is her first time in the head technical position. 

“My favorite part has been working with everyone on [the] cast and crew,” Garren said. “They are my favorite group of people, and they bring so much joy and entertainment to rehearsals.”

The ATP class’ rehearsals mainly take place during the school day to accommodate students’ other commitments. Since the cast and crew only had two evening practices, their class time was valuable.

“The [hardest] part has been that this is an in-class show,” Garren said. “We only have an hour and a half every other day, and 30 minutes is spent getting prepared to start rehearsing.”

The show must also dedicate its limited time to perfecting their show’s tech elements. The prop list for the show is extensive, including items such as fake cigarettes, cat masks and stick horses. Both technical members and actors worked together to create items.  

“As well as acting, I’m working with costumes and props,” junior ensemble member Brooke Knight said. “I’ve been working on making a large sausage that is handed to someone during the show as well as sewing rippable pants for [a character] to rip off someone.”

Despite obstacles, the production is ready to take the stage for a free, fast paced evening of entertainment.

“I love how interactive the script is,” Hallenbeck said. “In a few parts of the show my character interacts with the audience. It’s a lot of fun.”