BWW Blog: Eliza Porsella - We are on our Way!

Today at play practice, the girl who plays Shrek had to practice with a pillow strapped to her dress. She will be wearing one for the show to appear as an oversized ogre, so the teachers wanted her to get used to it. Her costume will be over the pillow to make it look more natural. I thought she looked weird, but she said she was glad to have something to lean on.

Backstage, it is sweltering. My friends and I usually bring portable fans. They have handheld fans that spritz water at the same time. They're very helpful backstage. Everybody fights over the fans when people have them. Someone charged a quarter for unlimited sprays until show time. I brought two fans and a miniature spray bottle as well. Everyone was fighting over the portable fans and so one of mine broke.

I had morning rehearsal Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday for various numbers. Even though it can sometimes be quite a drag, I won't ever get tired of it. I love being in the school play. I will miss it so much when it ends. I have dedicated a lot of my time to this performance. I have a recital for the Broadway Dance Center the week before the show. There, I am in five dances. I haven't been able to fit in much practice for these dances, but hopefully, I will do great for that recital as well as the show.

On Monday, our costumes will be arriving. I'm extraordinarily excited to see what the costumes look like. On Thursday, before opening night, we will be setting up the microphones. The microphones are wireless, the kind that strap to our faces. A teacher will somehow get the microphones to amplify the sound of our voices. The principal keeps reminding us not to talk backstage because then the people in the audience will be able to hear our conversation. I am not a main part so I don't get a microphone. I just have to yell my lines.

When you walk past the art room, the room is barricaded with poster board backgrounds, sets, and decorations. We can't have art class because we can barely get in the room, and the tables are covered in sets, scenery, and other Shrek related pieces. Our carpenter is a teacher, so he has been missing teaching to work on making the wood sets. We now have all our props but not all of the sets and scenery. I'm so excited for the show!