By: Emily Ryan and Cassandra Ramsey
Dedicated senior Delia Curtis is working harder than ever to balance her dedication to school and her passion for theater. Curtis, a former resident of Minnesota, Florida and Tokyo, Japan, found her place at Westborough High School through her participation in the various school productions such as The One Act Festival, The EFA Performances, and both parts of the Laramie Project.
The prospective Emerson College student strives to pursue a writing major and become involved with community theatre, theatre troops, and school plays. Curtis always had an inkling that theater was where she belonged, but it wasn’t until she attended Westborough High School that she was able to explore her passion, and expand upon her identity through the school’s various theatrical programs.
As Curtis introduced theater into her busy agenda, she had to find ways to cope with the responsibilities and stress it added to her life. As an involved member of the theatre group, she is also an honor student involved in Student Council and National Honor Society. Before theater these impressive extracurriculars took up a majority of her time, and she often spent hours on homework.Now in her senior year, the workload is lighter, but her connection to these major school activities has only grown stronger, creating longer days. In her mind, school has always been a priority, but theater responsibilities come close to second. Her days can extend from 7:30am to 8:00pm. “It’s like having a job”, she explains, sighing deeply as she describes spending 15 to 20 hours a week in the D-Wing of Westborough High School.
For Curtis, play production is a mental, social, and physical commitment, and often leaves little time for a life outside of school. This doesn’t discourage Curtis, since her castmates are like members of her family, they grow closer with every late night rehearsal or backstage set project. Many students at Westborough High School who are not involved in the play have little insight as to what goes on backstage. Curtis explains, “It requires just as much effort as a sport but with more communication”, where coaches are replaced with directors, some specializing in music, choreography, or theater skills.
Curtis often prepares for a school production by constantly reciting her lines, and practicing in the mirror in order to perfect the body language and acting that must follow her lines. The dynamic of the theater group can change depending on whether the production is a play or a musical, Curtis explains. In the case of a musical, many of the actors must push themselves to adapt to the rigor of actually acting, singing, and dancing. The majority of the time, those who are a part of the plays carry over into the musical production, but many newcomers join in order to display their talents in music.
In the up and coming play, Pippin, the cast members put a spin on the well known Broadway production. The original musical has taken many forms, including being circus theme as in the Broadway production. The Westborough High School rendition will be unique, Curtis explains, as one of the “players,” she and the cast will be portrayed in the Steampunk fashion. Steampunk is a mixture of Victorian style dress incorporated with motifs of the industrial revolution. For example, the use of pipework and gears is a common theme throughout the set design and costumes.
Embarking on her final months of high school, Curtis reflects on the exciting moments she has experienced while being a part of the school productions. She’s expanded her group of friends, and learned necessary skills that will assist her in future plays when she is off to college. She feels blessed to have been a part of such a meaningful department and encourages others to be apart of the productions at Westborough High School. It has been a rough she’s been able to live out her passion while still maintaining her academic honor status. This has led her to be a great asset to the Emerson community, where she will be able to prosper and grow as a student and a performer.
