Bear Stage, Buchanan High School’s drama department, hosted its spring musical “Grease” on the second and third weekend of March at Mercedes Edwards Theater in Clovis.
“Grease” takes place in the late 1950s at the fictional Rydell High School in Chicago and follows 10 working-class teenagers as they navigate the complexities of peer pressure, politics, personal core values and love.
Through the various scenes of this musical, the talents of every Buchanan student in the program were evident. Each piece of the musical was perfectly crafted. From the acting, music, lighting and stage props, the musical appeared flawless to the naked eye. If any mistakes were made, they must have been quickly fixed to appear unnoticeable.
The musical was centered around the love story of the hot-rodding gangster Danny Zuko and the sweet new girl in town, Sandy Dumbrowski. Amongst it all, many social issues were highlighted, including teen-pregnancy and gang violence – many still prominent issues today.
While these issues are discussed throughout, the musical numbers keep the audience engaged. The students actors, musicians and behind-the-scenes staff portray a professional performance that also kept the audience second guessing if these were high schoolers.
In a message found in the program, Clovis Unified School District states that theater is more than just acting – it teaches skills that last a lifetime.
“Play production involves more than memorizing lines and performing on stage,” said the District. “Self-confidence, responsibility, dedication, leadership, creative thinking, problem solving, goal setting, time management, group dynamics and group decision making are among the the skills we learn in play production.”
In addition, the department also stated that students learn the application of practical skills including carpentry, use of power tools, design application, painting techniques and more.