At the very back of a strange building no one dares but to step just a few measly steps into, there lies a dark and covert classroom. Stepping into this classroom, I can feel a whirlwind of emotions. In one corner, some kids hum a melody while others join in to create a symphonious harmony. In the opposing corner, there are dancers stretching and getting ready to learn a new combination of dance. Wherever I tend to look, there is some anxiety-filled thespian who is eager to break through and strive in the program. As I take a look around, I start to notice more and more small details around the elongated rectangle room. The second I cross the arch of the door, I observe that every single square inch of the room is doused in rich black paint. The paint affects the room. It creates an ominous aura as the golden-yellow LED lights hanging from the ceiling reflect off of the faces of anxious students. Lights that bounce off faces, bounce off the different decorations that were hung with such diligence and effort. Even some decorated paper can create a sense of cohesiveness and construct a new inspiration in the room. But most importantly, the secureness in this setting is fulfilled by the variety of students and decor.   

Coffee cup cut-outs and quotes fill the walls to create an almost coffee house setting. On one wall there is a brick overlay that lies gently stapled to the wall, and on the other, you have names of people who have been recognized. Quotes that read “Dream Big Work Hard” and even handwritten quotes that change daily, all use the same color scheme to bring the cafe milieu to life. It’s weird how some little pieces of paper that have no meaning, can make a dull and lifeless classroom, a place where scholars are excited to learn. The difference between a class that has such elaborate decorations and a class that has not one single poster, persuades kids to be excited about their next class and their willingness to listen and attend class with their full attention span. On the whiteboard to the left of the doorway, there lay examples of students who extraordinarily excelled on an assignment. This week, in particular, there is a packet of finely detailed analyses of a scene. It belonged to a student who was once fearful but graduated with confidence not too far back. The detail that fills the pages is immaculate. At the top, her big blue bolded letters write out her main scene objective. Continuing down the page, you find her interior monologue in gray and even her obstacles for each line written in green underneath lines she didn’t even speak. Just because the packet has been laid up on the board for weeks, it still remains one of the most precious pieces of paper in that classroom. Small details, such as the packets of paper and the little paper light bulbs that hang over bulletin boards, all create a place that remains so vivid in thespians’ minds.  

Through a more thorough investigation of the bare boards that have slowly begun to fill up, notes of gratitude are written and hung loud and proud for everyone to see. People who had worked hard and put in the extra effort to go above and beyond have finally been rewarded. Last year, the small board with large letters spelling “Student of the Month,” was filled with Mrs. Evans’s favorite students from that last year. One of the most memorable, Madison Perottii stands out amongst the ten different students who are two by four Polaroid pictures lay tacked in two even rows on the board. Madison stands out amongst the other nine because her gratitude is much lengthier than the others, mine included. Not only does it thank her hard work and amazing effort, but the amount of kindness she put out into the program. She was blonde hair, a blue-eyed firecracker who had more energy than a toddler who had just learned to walk. Her smile shined a little brighter than the others and her kindness had emitted through the crinkled cafe-colored film of the Polaroid. 

The three years I have spent in this room, all hold such a special place in my heart. The memories I’ve made, the people I’ve met, and the overall accomplishments I have achieved, all have been through this classroom. The bonds that I and my classmates share will forever be strong and unbreakable because of the memories we have built in this classroom. We have watched many themes, people and layouts go by in this classroom. This classroom is more than just a room. It is a space where people come to be free and to express themselves, without being judged. From freshmen to seniors, everyone matters and is important to constructing our amazing program. The experiences I and many others have had in the Black Box have been accomplishments that will never be forgotten. I got to finally be trusted with the choreography in a mainstage production! I even spend my summers here, performing and choreographing the summer shows. Even though I was gifted with such an amazing opportunity by my teacher, I was able to spend all of that time in the Black Box, doing what I love the most. 

As our walkthrough comes to a close, I want to emphasize that everything in this silly little room has meaning. Every chip in the paint and every skid on the floor stems from a memory that adds to the character of that room. The tape residue from a poster that used to hang next to the extravagant piano makes a mental image in someone’s mind. Every project and activity had left its special mark in that classroom one way or another.