BWW Blog: Eliza Porsella - Theater Arts

Today I had play practice or as the teachers call it "Theater Arts." We practice every Friday for three hours after school. I attend PS 196 in Queens and the play we are putting on is "Shrek, The Musical." The entire practice, a man took photos of us for a behind the scenes photo loop that will be projected on the stage before the performance on the nights we present the play in June.

I noticed the man as we rehearsed the finale number. This show has loads of dance numbers. Our dance choreographer is very strict and since I take dance all day at the Broadway Dance Center on Saturdays, I know strict. She is like a drill sergeant. . The final song is "I'm a Believer." For this number, I am onstage with other characters but several other players dance in the aisles of the audience. I wonder how the audience will like that.

Everyone's dancing is out of synch. I'm not sure we will be ready come show time. The way we look right now reminds me of popcorn popping in the air popper. One person goes, then another person remembers the step and goes and then the next person suddenly jumps into it.

This show is a girl-centric version of "Shrek" with all the main parts, including Shrek, Donkey and Lord Farquad being portrayed by girls. Only one boy plays a part that's supposed to be a boy, the big bad wolf. But the Wolf is dressed like a grandma in a cotton nightgown and spectacles and has to look like a girl. I play the Pied Piper, a Happy Person, part of an angry mob, and a Duloc performer. The Duloc performance is the hardest number in the show so far because we kind of have to move like puppets.

I really have a great time hanging out backstage with my friends in between numbers and watching my friends perform. Sometimes I wish I had a bigger role but I would become overwhelmed with the pressure of learning so many lines. This production is being directed by my principal, my music teacher and a fourth grade teacher. Over 100 fourth and fifth graders tried out, but only about 45 got to be in the show. Uki is our backstage monitor. She used to go to PS 196 but now she is in 7th grade. She wowed us on her first day by singing a song from her school play. We love having her.

Every week I look forward to Friday and I'm sad when practice is over.