Drama

Author: Raina Telgemeier

Colorist: Gurihiru

2012

A large part of my youth involved participating in improv. groups and finding my way towards performance art in general. I also enjoyed being part of committees and planning activities. This has led me towards a path of planning activities and events, and ultimately towards my job as a librarian. So, I know that the thrill of having a performance, activity or event reach expectation is a very satisfying feeling. The hectic time spent in preparation and troubleshooting is grueling, and this is what this book shows.

          The story follows Callie who loves theatre, but is a horrific singer –  which doesn’t bode well for her future in musical theatre. Her love is nevertheless relentless and instead she’s been assigned with the role of set designer for the drama department’s stage crew. Her dream is to create sets that are Broadway worthy. Alas, she must deal with the reality of a middle-school budget. While preparing for the drama that she and her classmates will be presenting, she will be faced by her own drama, both onstage and off. How will she fare?

          You see all the upsides and downsides of planning a big performance, but also the resilience of the people facing different challenges, and ultimately accepting to do what it takes to be happy. Callie is such a confident character when it comes to her passion – theatre – which doesn’t always transfer into her personal life. That is normal and it is what makes her so relatable. The characters are funny and diverse, with the common goal of bringing a play to life. You will have to read the book to find out if they will reach their goal of putting on a play worthy of a Broadway stage, or if the drama will be too much for them to handle!