Twenty years ago, the WHS theater troupe performed “Guys and Dolls” in the newly built CJ Burger Fine Arts Center. The current WHS theater troupe is preparing to honor this anniversary Nov. 8-10 by performing the same musical.

“Guys and Dolls” is a romantic comedy set in New York and Havana around the 1920s and 1930s. This musical follows gambler Nathan Detroit as he attempts to gain the $1,000 he needs to host a craps game by betting Sky Masterson that Sky cannot convince Sarah Brown, a missionary woman, to go on a date with him. Sky agrees to the bet and persuades Sarah to go out with him by promising to bring others into her mission. As Sky and Sarah begin to fall for each other, Nathan’s fiancée of 14 years, Adelaide, tries to convince Nathan to finally commit to a marriage.

“I just think that the music is really fun and upbeat,” senior Morgan Gordy said, “and it’s just really cool to see how the stories intertwine.”

Every Monday through Thursday after school, theater members work to bring this musical to life.

“We’re studying lines, learning choreography, listening to practice tracks to get the songs,” junior Drew Post said. “It’s really time management heavy.”

Along with dividing practice between speaking, singing and dancing, theater members must also memorize their parts and balance their involvement in theater with other extracurricular activities, which they have been striving to accomplish since August.

“We’ve been working for a few months now,” Post said, “and I’m excited to see what [the first-year performers] bring to the table.”

Delivering spectacular performances may be more challenging for new theater members because they face perhaps even more pressure than previous years.

“We casted a lot of new people in bigger roles, but they have handled it so well, and they’re really funny,” Post said. “Just doing scenes with them, even if we aren’t in character, it already makes us all laugh onstage.”

For some, the comedy and camaraderie onstage led to personal growth and a dedication to the theater program and its members.

“[My time in theater has] really helped me find a sense of humor,” senior Ezra Miles said. “It’s been…something I’ve done all four years and spent a lot of time on and found a lot of friends there.”

Other students agree that their time in theater built lasting relationships between themselves and other members.

“…We’re all like a family,” Gordy said. “It’s just a lot of fun, and you can express yourself and be who you want to be.”