All the world’s a stage . . . for seven Beaver Area High School students who attended the Theater Arts Workshop at the Byham Theatre in Pittsburgh February 18.

The students were seniors Alyssa Caldwell, Ava Mrkonja, Keira Watkins, and Izzie Pauley, junior Rudy Young, and freshman Lia Eckert.

These seven students, along with students from other schools, got to experience four different seminars regarding theater. The students from our school got to attend Costume Design, Hair/Makeup, Acting/Movement, and Playwriting.

In Costume Design, students learned how different colors, fabrics, and even shapes impact how the audience views a character. If an audience member is going to sit down for the first time to watch a performance that they know nothing about, the first thing they see is the set design and the costume design. It is the designer's job to make sure that the audience catches the correct atmosphere.

Students got to experiment putting together their own costumes and having others guess what the “designer” was going for.

For Hair/Makeup, students got to learn a little bit about the history of makeup: what it symbolized and how it was made. Participants could volunteer to get certain makeup styles done like old age makeup and makeup styles from the 20s.

Students also learned about how different color lights affect the look of performers and how to counteract different lighting shades with makeup.

In Acting/Movement, the main goal was to highlight the importance of just letting go and not worrying. The instructor had the students participate in multiple improv activities and a few attention activities.

When on stage, a performer might be faced with challenges, and might have to have some quick thinking skills to make sure the audience stays entertained.

Playwriting was Beaver Area’s last seminar, and it proved a personal favorite among some of them. Students got into small groups (as if their group of seven wasn’t small enough) and then wrote and performed their own play.

The students came up with two plays, Debra and Canned. The students were able to take what they learned from past seminars and put it towards playwriting.

All in all, the Theater Arts Workshop was an amazing experience, and the seven students would recommend others attend in future if the opportunity arises. It is valuable especially for those considering theater activity after graduation, but it is great even if you are attending just for fun.