As summer dawns on the student body and school is eclipsed by the thought of long summer nights and poolside lounging, many students have begun to anticipate a mellow, relaxing summer devoid of the difficult work that characterizes school existence. But for sophomore Emily Abshire and junior Ian Jones, the upcoming summer brims with long hours of sweat, practice and strict discipline. Both Abshire and Jones have dedicated themselves to progressing their theatrical skills through summer workshops and theater programs.

Jones, who recently auditioned for the Civic Theatre’s “Anything Goes,” said that though he is relatively new to theater, he looks forward to participating in several productions this summer. In preparation, Jones has been taking classes in both tap and jazz. However, while Jones acknowledged the importance of developing these skills, he said he is most excited to work with new people.

“With every show you meet someone new and gain a new memory that won’t leave you, because as a whole cast you share that moment together. The most important thing I will take away from these shows is just to have fun with it, because it won’t last forever,” Jones said.

Abshire, on the other hand, has participated in a variety of past summer productions. However, like Jones, Abshire said the part she has enjoyed most in past summer programs was working with people outside the limits of school theater productions.

“In any show, I think that you just get a theater family throughout the show. Your castmates become your family and you don’t forget about each other,” Abshire said.

Abshire also noted that she enjoys participating in summer theater programs because they often provide opportunities that may not be available to students who only perform in school-related productions.

“It’s not just a theater production; it’s a learning experience. I think the workshops are going to be really great this year, because we get to work with Michael Feinstein (Great American Songbook) and people straight off of Broadway, so you really get to learn about what theater is really like and the techniques that they use on the professional shows,” Abshire said.

Abshire and Jones agreed they intend to direct the skills they develop this summer towards school theater productions in the fall.

Abshire said, “You can better prepare for auditions and for what directors look for in a role and just be better prepared in general.”

Likewise, Jones said, “I will have more experience that I can bring back to the school along with everyone else who does summer shows that we can use to better the shows here.”

However, Abshire noted several differences between school-sponsored shows and summertime productions. According to Abshire, shows that take place in the summer are often less stressful.

“I just think that summer practices are easier because you’re not trying to juggle school with rehearsal and sleep and eating and doing actual things. You have more time in the summer, so it’s easier than it is during the school year,” Abshire said.

Although Abshire held that she enjoys the benefits of participating in summer theater and hopes to continue to develop her theatric skills, she said she does not have an interest in a career in drama. Conversely, Jones said that he is open to further pursuing his interest in theater in college and perhaps even in his future career.

“I am actually auditioning to become a musical theater major in college and then pursue a career in acting, dancing or singing,” Jones said. “But, only time will tell if that’s truly what I will do; I’m sure as long as I’m still working with the theater or music of some sort, I’ll be where I need to be.”