BEING A CAST MEMBER OF STAGEFX

Being a Cast Member of Stage FX’s Silver Year: A Tale of Taking Risks

THE MEMBERS OF STAGE FX SY 2019-2020 at THEiR PRODUCTION: “We TELL THE STORY” By Jaden Lim (G11)

At the end of ninth grade, an older friend of mine who was much more active in extracurricular activities (ECAs) made me wonder: if all I did until I graduated was go to school, watch YouTube, then cram until late at night, would I take away anything memorable or meaningful from my high school years? I figured that Grade 10 would be the time when I joined a club that was outside my realm. A club that was unrelated to math or science; that pushed me to develop untapped skills; and that compelled me to suppress my shyness was what I was aimed for.

Stage FX, the drama club, sounded perfect, but I was hesitant to approach their booth in the ECA fair. I was too anxious of what could happen to me; I might even be casted for all I know! After 15 minutes of worrying and circling around the booth, my apprehension suddenly disappeared. I knew it would soon come back, so I hurried for the pen and signed my name. I would soon see myself attending club meetings in preparation for Stage FX’s silver year shows. The Beginnings of a New Actor

Kabanata, the show for the first semester, ended meaningless in my case. The actors and the core team had a tough few months balancing schoolwork with all the show preparations, but I felt unfulfilled and regretful for my lack of contribution to the production team I belonged to. I reminded myself that if I wanted to make my experience in the drama club worthwhile, then I had to take up more demanding roles.

That same feeling came back in my first week of the Xavier China Experience when I was deciding whether or not to record a second take of my required audition videos for the second show. I realized that “We Tell The Story” was the finale for the club’s 25th anniversary, so the cast had to be exceptional. I believed I did not possess enough talent and courage to be worthy of a role, but I was still thrilled at the thought of being on stage. I finally encountered a transformative opportunity that I had hoped for, and I could not let this slip out of my hands.

About a week later, I received a barrage of pictures while I lined up for dinner at my dormitory. Each revealed my six song and dance numbers, three of which I had a lead role in. What were the odds of being selected for one-third of the play, even more so

being away from my co-actors who were back home? Well, I could not back out anymore. I was chosen to perform, and the curtains would reveal what I had to offer in two months.

Arriving Back Home

Having returned from my one-month stay in Yunnan, it was finally time to meet and rehearse with the rest of the cast. Stepping foot into the rehearsal venue, I saw everyone grouped up, refining the nuances of their footwork. I did a terrible job at pretending to know what to do since all I learned were the chorus and a verse of one song, so I stuck out like a sore thumb. Piling onto that feeling was hearing about the others’ theatrical backgrounds. Not only was I greatly unprepared; everyone far outclassed me in experience and sheer talent.

I figured that I would have to learn and go through everything alone since I was too shy to ask my unfamiliar co-actors. Watching choreographies on YouTube was no help at all, so I had to approach one of my scene partners for the first time. It was mortifying, but it was also really relieving to finally talk to someone. She helped me get the hang of the steps and make friends throughout the rehearsals. I stopped feeling alone, and became part of the crowd practicing and chatting.

Our everyday conversations would be interrupted for dry runs of the show. During my first run, our moderator called my partner and me to show her our duet of The Fantasticks’ “I Can See It,” even when we had not coordinated beforehand. Suddenly, I heard the moderator’s giddy shrieks and the others’ compliments from the get-go of our act. It was definitely a surreal moment, but I left that rehearsal with a wide grin on my face.

Showtime: One Hell of A Ride

When classes resumed after the Christmas break, my mundane schedule got obliterated by our four hour-long daily rehearsals. Practicing while maintaining my honor roll was exhausting to say the least, but two scenes really gnawed at me. “We Dance” from Once On This Island got heavily condensed, so we had to squeeze our routine in half the time. “America” from West Side Story needed a ton of dry runs for us to emulate top-notch tap-dancing and ballet, and we started practicing as a group only about two weeks prior! More fatiguing and late rehearsals came as the days neared show night, but I pulled through until the first two shows.

In my eyes, my performances were absolutely terrible; I just could not stop cringing when I recalled singing out of tune, blanking out on my choreography, and acting awkward due to stage fright, but I had to use these as reminders to step up my game. In one week, I studied my characters even more and mastered a whole new routine yet again. The last two shows finally came around, and I felt anxious. I wished that all my sweat and tears would make the audience applaud not because of etiquette, but because of true pleasure in watching the show. I will never forget the words of a previous club president who came to watch, “It was just…wow. Fantastic.”

To Answer The Question That Started This Adventure...

If I were asked to join Stage FX before I was in Grade 10, I would have refused because I had ingrained into my head the image of the world of performing arts swallowing a shy introvert whole. I was fine with being in my little comfort zone, avoiding any type of challenge until that year.

“I was dragged out from my shell, but that expanded my horizon.”

Accepting that challenge brought me many realizations about my unexplored talents. I never knew I had singing abilities that amazed people, nor did I see my dance moves to be worthy of performing the hardest scenes of our play. Listening to our moderator’s coaching and observing my co-actors perform other scenes guided me in developing my acting. I am still far from being the perfect actor, but being nominated for the “On the Right Track” award during our year-end club ceremonies made me believe in my progress.

Sharing the theatrical experience with my co-members welcomed me into the family of Stage FX. Making the first move by talking to my scene partner was awkward, sure, but it broke the ice between us. She was the outlet towards many new friendships, which eventually became a new clique that I came to hold dear because of all the memories we made in and out of theater.

Risks are daunting because we fear the unknown. There is no sense of security in being unaware of what will take place when we put ourselves in unpredictable situations, but there is also a beauty in its mystery. Challenging ourselves to escape our personal comfort zones will always lead to discoveries, whether these be our unexplored talents, a trustworthy bunch of friends, or simply new experiences. Failure is inevitable when diving into risks, but learnings from those defeats are hidden gems that let our character shine. Do not stick to what is comfortable; enjoy the thrill of risks because that brings out the best in you and your life.