Wilsonville High School is known for its amazing productions including students from various grades. Each student involved in the plays puts forth 100% of their effort to capture the audience’s attention and leave them speechless. Loads of hard work and dedication are put into each production to create a unique outlet for the image of the play they portray.
Their upcoming play Radium Girls is about the power workers’ feelings when they unite to fight for their rights. It is a tough piece to bring to the stage but with all the help from the creators behind the scenes, it will result in a magnificent display of the student’s work ethics.
Tashyka Zundel, a Wilsonville High School junior, occupies the costume tech job.
She shares, “I think the best thing for me is being able to see the costumes on the stage when we get a break during the shows or in pictures of the actors afterward. It’s always interesting in the weeks leading up to it, but the costumes come to life when you see them in the right lighting and the character they go with.”
One of the hardest parts of creating a production that people can rave about is the special effects and behind-the-scenes work. It is a complex job, and the different aspects can be challenging depending on the project. Radium Girls is a historical drama filled with special effects that need to capture the subtleness and historical accuracy of the production.
Additionally, the special effects must accurately reflect the right period, which was in the early 20th century. An example of this would be including the look of the radium paint to the health effects on the characters.
Although this production is time-consuming and takes a lot of exertion, it can be fun and intriguing to try new things or experiment with different behind-the-scenes tasks. Senior Taylor Cederberg says, “I’m super excited for a lot of Radium Girls, but I’m interested in the blood effects I’m gonna get to do. There’s a lot of bleeding from mouths/coughing up blood, and I think that’s super fun!”
Working behind the scenes offers many different tasks, which is the best part about being involved in a production. If something isn’t up your alley, be willing to try something new because you may enjoy it more than what you had originally signed up for. Cederberg is a good example of this because she hadn’t originally done special effects in a show. The Radium Girls production gave her a pathway for testing new makeup looks and researching more about costumes and hairstyles.
Taylor Cederberg mentions, “This is my first time getting to do sfx (special effects) in a show, so I’m excited. I’ve only ever done them for fun in my spare time. Getting to apply that to production is super cool and I’ve been planning things since I first read through the script and realized there were opportunities for some fun makeup. Figuring out the best techniques, as well as getting a good visual understanding of anatomy, are very interesting and unique aspects to learning more about special effects makeup.”
Radium Girls is only one example of the behind-the-scenes opportunities provided at Wilsonville High School. This production offers an opportunity for those who share an interest in using imagination and skills to aid in the productions at Wilsonville. The students behind the curtain are some of the most important parts of bringing the show to life which is a very high reward to be accomplished. Watch the production, Radium Girls, which incorporates the many special talents of Wilsonville High School. Shows are February 27th, 28th, and March 1st, 6th, 7th, 8th. All at 7pm. Tickets available at teachtix.com