When people go see a play, they generally don’t think of what goes on behind the scenes of the show. They just like to watch what is going on. However, there is a story behind the curtain for each of the actors, and it is an interesting one. 

   Check, Please was different from most shows out there. Most of the show consists of short, funny dates that go awry. A lot of the scenes are short, sweet, and fast-paced comedic scenes. The show took place at Guilford on November 3, 4, and 5. 

   “This show is different because it’s super fast-paced,” said Mrs. Melissa Wolf, artistic director of the Guilford theater department. “It is set in modern day and the setting is modern. Instead of it being a fluid beginning, middle, and end, it’s all short scenes so we can showcase a lot of people.” 

   Check, Please was not only different in its story, but it was also different in its rehearsal process. Traditionally, Mrs. Wolf would call actors from specific scenes on a given day and they would work on those scenes together. However, the rehearsal process for Check, Please worked a little differently.

   “She split us up into act two and act one for a really long time,” said Madeline Williford, a sophomore who played Phoebe. “No one in act one saw act two until we started doing tech, and vice versa. It was different. It wasn’t necessarily bad because we weren’t trying to cram all these scenes into one rehearsal. It was really different from how rehearsals usually go.”

   Mrs. Wolf had many duties while running the show which included making the rehearsal schedule, setting up scenes, and working with the actors with stage directions. Because she had so many duties, she needed a little help, which is where stage managers come in. Jaeszianna White, a junior, is one of two stage managers.

   “My duties are kinda the same as Mrs. Wolf’s,” said White. “I make sure everyone knows their lines, I make sure everyone is in their costume, I make sure the sound cues are on time, as well as the lights.”

   White originally auditioned to be an actor in the show. While they were originally sad about being a stage manager, they have since come around to the idea of being a stage manager.

   “I was sad at first, and then I realized that I was stage manager and I realized that it was a big opportunity to learn a lot of new things, because I’ve never stage managed before,” said White. “I really like being stage manager because I get to yell at people, but that’s not really the only reason why I like it. I really like it because it gives me the opportunity to look into all different kinds of acting and not just being on stage and working tech.”

   Many of the actors in Check, Please are in Mrs. Wolf’s acting class, and they see a contrast between the two. 

   “The difference between acting class and the play is that the play is pretty strict with what you do off stage but for the most part we can be however we want for our character,” said Kaja Pusara, a junior who played Pearl.

   The other actors in the show agree with Pusara’s point about how the actors get more flexibility with their character.

   “I feel there is a lot of room for characterization, which I like,” said Williford.

   Many students don’t try out for plays because they may feel nervous. Pusara has advice for those people.

   “Try out! What do you have to lose?” said Pusara. “You may think you’re making a fool of yourself but aren’t we all?”