As the resounding thuds of basketballs being dribbled filled the auditorium, opening night was in full swing. The three performances of High School Musical from Jan. 20-22 were a culmination of months of rehearsals

“Theater is my entire life,” junior Phiona Hiebert, who played the female lead Gabriella Montez said. “It’s what I want to do for a living.”

From major roles to bit parts, each cast member worked toward the same goal.

“Any role is important,” Hiebert said. “You have to work just as hard for an ensemble part and be happy with that, too. It’s just what happened this year with casting.”

The show came with several challenges. For example, senior Cade Barnard, who played Chad Danforth, had to perform with a cast after having wrist surgery the week of the performances.

“There’s nothing like performing, but it’s not easy to do it with a cast,” Barnard said. “I can do some things, but I can’t do others. People get hurt in real life, so having a cast in character made it more realistic.”

Actors needed to know their character’s motivations. Sophomore Bryce Lopez had to delve into antagonist Ryan Evans’s character.

“Ryan is feminine,” Lopez said. “He likes to make everyone feel like they’re below him.”

Working on productions together made the cast and crew feel like family.

“It’s a great group of people to be around,” Barnard said. “My best friends are in the class with me. It’s a good way to bond with people because you get to make something with them.”

Tickets to each showing were $5 each and earned money for the future.

“The money we made goes into scholarships,” theater director Reed Chappell said. “All of it goes back to the students.”

Hiebert said theater is an equal-opportunity organization.

“I think anyone from freshman to senior can get a lead,” Hiebert said. “It just depends on your work ethic.”

For senior Isabel Acosta, who portrayed villain Sharpay Evans, taking a risk in acting can pay off.

“My mom always told me ‘You’ll never get the role if you stay safe’,” Acosta said, “so, I’ll always try my hardest to get the role I want. It just happened to be a lead role this time.”