Continued from page 11 The plays were presented Saturday evening with the entire production process finishing up before or at the 24-hour mark. “For ‘Fiddler on the Roof ’, initial production meetings begin usually several months in advance of the production. These meetings continue for several weeks prior to even the first auditions such that major decisions about each production (concept, designs, etc.)
are made before each show is auditioned for,” Mattox said. “The show is rehearsed for six to eight weeks, five nights a week for three hours a night, during which production meetings continue and our Theatre Practicum class works on building set, costumes, props, etc. The final week of rehearsals involves lengthy technical rehearsals and dress rehearsals where we incorporate and rehearse all the technical aspects of the production
(costumes, props, lights, sound, special effects, etc.) along with the acting leading up to the opening of each show.” The set design component also faced these same challenges. Fine Arts Technical and Facilities Coordinator Patrick Reading explained his time frames. “Set design for ‘Fiddler on the Roof ’ was finalized in Dec. and we worked on it for around six weeks, with the last two weeks being really intensive.
For the 24 hour Improv there is no design. There are five 15-20 minute plays that I don’t read until around 5:30 am. I have 13 hours to figure everything out before they are performed in front of an audience.” With all of the different obstacles faced and the long hours worked, the theatre department and students reflected on both plays that were produced and looked forward to the next production with a new set of challenges.
Continued from page 15 This is what was intended by the shapers of the university in the first place.” In addition to academic furtherance the team became a close group of friends and also had the opportunity to meet other students at tournaments and meets. “I’ve made a lot of good friends. We’ve met a lot of people who are not just from Kansas and our school,” Ross said.
Tucker said they were able to meet and interact with other forensics students who shared the same goals, interests, and personalities which was not always easy to do in the typical group of college students. “We’re like a very, very, quirky family. Everyone knows everyone else’s faults a little too well. But we’re also a family in terms of shared victories. No one’s achievements are left uncelebrated,” Wagler said. Roberts said that the stu-
dents underwent a weekend of criticism at each tournament and most people would have become depressed and dejected. He taught the students to view it positively and use for their benefit. This is a skill that students used to their advantage in all areas of life. Another main reward for participation in forensics was the availability of large scholarships to four-year institutions following HCC. “They are heavily recruited
to move on to the four-year colleges. They all get to go to their top choices of four-year programs when they are done here,” Roberts said. After thoroughly preparing team members to succeed in their future educations and careers, HCC sent the forensics team to colleges around the nation to make a difference for their communities and their world.
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