All year long, the TJC theatre department is working to give students the opportunity to see and be a part of their productions. Theatre professor, David Crawford, provides an insight into the world of theatre and a behind-the-scenes look into creating these productions. 

Creating plays takes dedication and weeks of preparation. 

“For the whole process we normally take five to six weeks,” Crawford said. 

During this time, the actors and other members of the theatre department are working on memorizing lines, staging, and running full days’ worth of rehearsals. 

The department tries to do four shows a year, which can be difficult with limited time in the semester, Crawford said. 

“The challenge is: How good are you? It’s not an easy task, and the students right now do not understand how difficult it’s going to be. It will be hard training,” Crawford said. 

Auditions have taken place, and the creative process has begun. The key challenges to his job are the audition process and the creative process; there is a lot that goes into training to execute it as perfectly as possible, Crawford said. However, “being creative and watching it from the very beginning of the creative process and taking it all the way to fruition-that’s the best part,” Crawford said. 

Along with the theatre department, other TJC departments contribute to the production process. 

“All of the faculty in the theatre department have responsibilities in the show, as well as outside of the department,” Crawford said. Oftentimes they collaborate with the music and dance departments for productions such as musicals. Music directors, live orchestras, choreographers, and promotional outlets such as TV and radio all contribute to the play-making process.  

Theatre major, Sam Murphy, goes into more detail on what this process is like as an actor. 

Murphy said one of the most challenging parts for him personally is memorizing lines. 

“Before going on stage, you kind of just have to get your head right. It’s like that for athletes or anything, you just kind of sit in silence and go over lines in your head,” Murphy said. 

However, he finds being a part of the performances and being on stage is extremely rewarding. 

“You can’t beat when the audience laughs either with you or at you,” Murphy said.

Not only is it rewarding to feel that rush on stage, but Murphy said being a part of the theatre department has changed his life for the better in many other ways. 

“There’s a lot of different people from different backgrounds. One of my good friends is from South Africa, and I would’ve never met them if I wasn’t in theatre,” Murphy said. 

There are many things happening this year within the theatre department, including their productions of “Legally Blonde,” “Crimes of the Heart,” “Moby Dick,” and their upcoming production of “Summer in Smoke,”- a play by Tennessee Williams, which will be produced April 24-27 in the Jeane Brown theatre. 

“Tennessee Williams is one of America’s greatest ever playwrights,” Crawford said. Crawford said a big question of his is if the freshman and sophomore level theatre students will be able to pull it off. 

For any inquiries regarding joining the theatre department or to see their production of “Summer in Smoke,” visit tjc.edu/theatre.