The theatre program has been hard at work on its production of “Beauty and the Beast,” which is set to hit the stage on April 12, since January.

Auditions were held in the fall, and the students who were given a part in the play have been working on everything from memorizing their lines to learning how to dance ever since.

Rehearsals began when students came back to school after Christmas break. Students have devoted three to four days out of the week to rehearsing from 3:30 p.m. to as late as 7 p.m.

Rehearsals have been a main struggle for students, as they have homework to do when they get home. Oftentimes, students who participate in theater find themselves doing their homework on the weekends so they have nothing to worry about through the week when they will be spending most of their spare time rehearsing.

“If my teachers hand out assignments on days I have rehearsals, I usually try to finish them during scenes that I’m not in,” freshman Seth Atkins said. “Overall, it’s all really just about staying focused and managing your time.”

Although students have been stressed over the play, they are still elated at the thought of performance time being so near.

“I”m really excited to see it all come together and to see how everyone has changed and improved along the way,” senior Katie Ash said. “We have a lot of younger kids, and since I’m graduating this year, I’m excited to see what I’m going to leave behind.”

When the time comes around for the play, people who see the performance won’t think about what happened behind the scenes. Although there are many people who are spending most of  their time preparing to perform, there are also people who are spending the same amount of time working backstage to prepare for the show. The stage managers spend most of their time making costumes, working on sets and doing projects for theatre director Carrie Roberts.

“I like how we’re all in charge of our own little tasks,” freshman Zoe Messer said. “It’s not necessarily completely run by Dr. Roberts; we all have our own little things we do, and we all have a role we play even if it’s not on stage.”

Don’t miss your chance to see the highly anticipated performances of “Beauty and the Beast.” Performances will be in the auditorium at 7 p.m. on April 12-13 and at 2 p.m. on April 14. Tickets will be sold for $10 on Thursdays at 6:30 p.m.