Lights, camera, action! AHS student William Rangel had the experience of a lifetime when he was given the opportunity to attend a highly competitive theatre camp over the summer.

The camp was open to every student attending a high school in Virginia. In order to be considered for the program, you had to be a sophomore or junior. The first part of the process is going through a rigorous application where your resume and all your experience in theatre is listed. You are also required to write an essay explaining how you would benefit the program.

Once they have decided who to send through, if you are selected, you must audition with a prepared monologue of around 50 seconds. While auditioning, they consider your improv skills, warm-up knowledge, and monologue. “For my monologue, I went with something a little out of the ordinary. Usually everyone picks some sort of despondent monologue from some emotional scene, but I went with a comedic monologue from Hedwig and the Angry Inch” Rangel said.

After auditioning, there is nothing else to do but wait and see if you have been chosen. “Three months or so after the audition, I got a letter in the mail congratulating me on my acceptance!” Rangel added. The Theatre Division for Governor’s School Arts accepted only 40 student from all over Virginia. Although getting in was tough, Rangel believes it was definitely worth it.

With lots of new friends and positive environment filled with people who share the same passion, it is hard not to fall in love with the experience. While it was not only fun, it was also a learning experience. Students learned different warm-ups, monologue presentations, improv techniques, to name a few.

Students were also encouraged to bring their own techniques and styles into the mix! Overall, Will’s experience at theatre camp is definitely one to remember. The environment was filled with kids who are dedicated and passionate about what they love to do.

Waking up in the morning, the field is filled with students singing, playing their instruments, or rehearsing lines and running scenes with partners. “Art students would be drawing or painting. Dancers would even be in groups practicing numbers choreographed by themselves! This was the best environment imaginable.” Rangel said.

And all though many things stood out, his favorite thing was the people. “My favorite thing at gov school was all the people there, since everyone there was pretty much hand picked, these are all some of the most talented youth in VA. When you’re surrounded by people who worked hard and want to be there, you learn so much.”