By: Jasleen Leon-Sanchez
Photo Credit: Mrs. McAvoy
The annual musical production of El Diamante occurred from the 20th to the 23rd of February. This event was very anticipated by everyone; it brought together students, teachers, and the community to watch a creative production. Behind the scenes of this event is our third-year drama/musical director, Mrs. McAvoy. In this exclusive interview, we had the opportunity to sit down with her and discuss the typical journey of a musical, her background, and the challenges they face. These insights provide a fascinating look into the creative process of a high school musical. Here is the interview.
What is your background in theater?
“My dad always took me to plays in musicals when I was a kid, and then as I got into high school and middle school, I did a lot of theater. Then I studied theater in college and then I did community theater, which I directed. I then went to college and got my BA. Now I’m here and there’s a lot of theater.”
Where have you been, what has been your favorite production to direct and why?
“I think it’s this one. This one that just passed a little shuffle of hours. I love the story. I love the show and the cast that I was lucky enough to have this year was amazing.”
Can you describe your approach to working with high school students who are experienced in musicals?
“That’s kind of a tricky question because at other high schools, like for example, unfortunately, the only school that I have done who has done musicals is Valley Life charter, and I don’t get a ton of kids with them. It is a little bit more difficult with those who’ve never had experience before. And I think the hardest part is maybe just convincing them that they have to kind of start working on their parts and memorizing their lines early on. I think another hard part is I have students who will be like oh it’s October and the show isn’t until February and feel like they have tons of time, but there’s not a lot of time. So that’s also a really big difficulty. So those are probably the biggest two hurdles.”
Photo Credit: El Diamante Website
What opportunities do you provide your students who wish to take on a leadership rule in the musical?
“We hold auditions every fall and I try to be open to everyone coming in. I try to have a role for everyone coming in. Like for example, our lead was a freshman this year. And a lot of people weren’t happy about that, but it turned out to be great. So I tried hard to just keep an open mind and if I have some of those kids who are maybe coming in that haven’t been leaders, aren’t experienced, I still kind of try to give them a shot. Just because it is all about everyone kind of gets a shot.”
What advice would you give to your students to help them pursue a performing arts career?
You just gotta do it. I feel like with a lot of the students that I see come through here, sometimes you guys already convince yourself that you can’t do something before you try, and I feel like that’s the hardest thing to get over. You just gotta get out of your head. You’ve got to get out there and you’ve got to try so many things. I get that new stuff can be scary, but most of the time, it’s a really good payoff and it’s like it’s a good thing in the end. So that would be it. Get out of your head, get out there, audition, and write stuff.
Mrs. McAvoy’s dedication to caring for students’ talent, ensuring a collaborative environment, and overcoming the challenges of a musical show how perfect she was for this important role. Her guidance has guided many musical driven students to enjoy their time at El Diamante. Thank you Mrs. McAvoy and we hope you’ll continue to help El Diamante’s performing arts thrive!