Heavy and nervous feet pace quietly around behind a brightly lit stage. Quickly memorizing and rehearsing your lines, you remember to take deep breaths. Your heart pounds quicker as you’re next in line for a role that may change your future. 

The lights turn on and the action begins. The first step of any musical is the casting of roles.  For the Starry Knights, San Marcos High’s theater group, this process began Dec. 6 and ended on Dec. 8 for The Little Mermaid even though the show is not until Mar. 13 to Mar. 16. Auditions consisted of not only acting roles, but for dancers and singers as well. Callbacks were made on Dec. 8 by invitation only. 

Each person auditioning is faced with the challenge of putting it all out there–confidence, faith, authenticity–while nailing “that note” or dancing to the beat, or making the director feel something.  It is easier, if one has auditioned in the past, and everyone knows your work.  “Auditions were pretty easy going this year!” said Junior Anna Ruais. “But last year, for me, was a lot more stressful, because I was completely new to the department and knew pretty much no one.” The important thing for an actor to remember is to not hold back and to showcase what they have to offer in the eyes of the director.  Auditions are also easier for some if they have experience and training in theater. “Auditions for me were awesome,” junior Mackenzie Pyatt said. “I was helping out by checking people in as well as auditioning myself. I felt very confident going into my audition because I knew I had worked very hard.” Pyatt further explains how she took voice lessons once every week preparing for her audition song since early October, which has definitely increased her confidence. But when an actor does not “feel their performance,” the adage, “Fake it till you make it applies here.”  

I was a member of the drama club, and in the beginning-drama class I really found a place. I am now a junior in the advanced drama class and the drama club president.[/pullquote]By being part of the acting community one works with the same faces and feels a sense of belonging. “I’ve been a part of the S-M-H-S drama program since my freshman year,” explains Pyatt. “I was a member of the drama club, and in the beginning-drama class I really found a place. I am now a junior in the advanced drama class and the drama club president.” Pyatt’s roles have been nothing short of thrilling beginning freshman year when she was Meg (Mitch) in Spelling Bee, Wednesday in the Addams Family her sophomore year, and now Disney villain Ursula in The Little Mermaid.

Playing a role consists of responsibility and challenge-both in good ways.  Cast as Ariel, one of the leading roles, Ruais feels the pressure but also the excitement as she connects with her character. “Playing Ariel is definitely one of the most challenging things I have had to do, but also rewarding,” Ruais said. “I really connect with her story, and the emotions she feels are very real to me, also being a teenage girl.” Connection to the role actors play is essentially the most crucial part of wanting to ace an actor’s role. The actors must put themselves in the shoes of their characters, attempting to understand their backgrounds, motivations, and struggles. “Ursula is such a strong role, she’s evil yet so funny,” Pyatt said. Being excited and having the desire to play their role no matter the circumstances is also key to a successful musical–or any theater performance.