Now that winter break is over, it is time to get back in the swing of things. Hopefully none of us have forgotten that ISU Theatre is performing “Amadeus” as their next big show.

Pandora has a great classical music station for studying to, but have you ever wondered about the lives behind the masterpieces?

Amadeus is the clashing of two phenomenal and unforgettable composers, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Antonio Salieri.

While it is no secret that there may have been some animosity between them, it is also true that they shared a mutual respect. Salieri not only tutored Mozart’s son but he also conducted some of his pieces.

Although this tragedy is mostly fictionalized, the students performing them have put forth their best efforts in making the tale believable.

Rehearsals begin five to six weeks before the premiere and are four to five nights a week, each session lasting about four hours. 

Mason Tyler, junior in performing arts, has been cast as Mozart and did a little math regarding the time that goes into one play.

“With a cast of 18, a production team of five, and countless stagehands, we start looking at over 1,400 collective hours sinking into just rehearsals,” Tyler said.

But how has winter break affected the scheduling of the rehearsals if there is no school? Director Jane Cox provided scripts for the cast to use over break so they may familiarize themselves with their characters.

“The script provides all the clues an actor needs to find a character, and the music in ‘Amadeus’ is as much the script as the dialogue,” Tyler said.

Christopher Priebe, junior in theatre, has been cast opposite of Tyler as Salieri.

In agreement with Tyler, Priebe believes that a character’s personality can be found by rereading the script until the material sticks.

“Personality comes from a character’s wants and desires and how they fight for them, and those are conveniently already written for me in the text,” Priebe said.

Since theatre is a collaborative art, students must come together as one unit. The characters they portray come to life through fostering what is already known and going from there.

“The most important method to “becoming (insert character)” is to read the play not for what you want but for what is there,” Tyler said.

Tyler notes Cox’s great talent for working with diverse casts and crews and her ability to understand when to be a teacher and when to let the students discover their part for themselves.

Peter Shaffer was the playwright of Amadeus, and now it is time for ISU Theatre to bring his compelling work of art to life.

“I’m excited to work with this eclectic group and with the help of our director Jane Cox, I’m confident we can breathe new life to one of Peter Shaffer’s greatest works,” Priebe said.