Following the Success of Footloose, What is Drama’s Future?

By: Emerson Justus

Redwood’s drama team put together a successful Footloose Musical, but now people are wondering what’s next with the drama kids.

When talking to Mrs. Galvan the drama teacher here at Redwood, she says “Footloose was amazing, the students totally stepped up and did everything that was asked of them. The production itself turned out really good, we were really proud of it.”

Mrs.Galvan standing infront of the “Galvan door”

The students and teachers here at Redwood are very proud of the way the production turned out.

“My favorite moment every year is watching opening night and watching everybody, like I’ve done everything I’ve needed to do, taught everything they need and it’s this moment where we turn it to the students, it’s up to the stage manager and the students” Galvan says.

Galvan adds “seeing them light up on stage while people are applauding, we practice to perform in front of people and that first applause is heartwarming. It gives you chills, it’s like yay they like it.”

It’s very exciting to be on stage and seeing everybody in the crowd applauding you.

“I think that if we have all the time in the world then a show could be absolutely perfect, I wish we had a little more time with lighting, everybody’s been saying it’s great, but for me I can say on closing night why didn’t I do this and why didn’t I do that.” Galvan says.

At the end of every performance there is always something that you could improve on and for Mrs. Galvan it’s the lighting. “With people moving around the stage all at once it gets pretty difficult working with the lights.” Galvan says.

Following the success of Redwood’s 2022 musical Footloose, many people are excited to see what the drama department does next.

Galvan says “The next thing coming up for the theater department is our 1 act show, it is in May, a week before our finals. Right now they are writing a script so all the drama classes will perform 1 script written by Redwood students, we do everything original.”

“We have not been able to do 1 act since 2019 because school shut down in 2020 and we were just in this process, our main goal is getting on stage in front of an audience and having fun not involving scenes that involve zoom or Covid or any of that.” Galvan says.

1 Act’s are something that Covid also put a hold on and the teachers in this department are excited to finally be able to do something like this without zoom or Covid being a factor.

Galvan says “I love it. Seeing the “lightbulb” moments, watching them perform something and then giving them a note, then them saying they (students) get it and talking about character development.”

Galvan says “Theater is my passion and watching the students light up the way I did when I first discovered theater seeing them enjoy what they are doing onstage and backstage; that’s the best it gets.”