Hogwarts takes a look at a different group of students, the Puffs.

Everyone who comes to see the show sees only the activity on the stage, but only the actors see what goes on before the show and backstage. The actors’ call time is set to 5:30, but some people start coming in as early as 5.

Opening night of any show is a big deal because it is the first time the public sees the hard work the cast has put in for months, but for seniors, it’s the start of the end.

NUHS theater seniors have started a tradition in which, before the opening-night show, they all sign the catwalk. For them, it is a symbol of how, no matter where they go or what they do, this theater and the family created will always be a part of them in some way.

There are a lot of things that go into opening night, and sometimes some troubles can come up right before, but the people in the theater know how to combat anything that comes at them.

Samarah Forstner is the director of the plays and musicals at NUHS, and she always seems to look on the bright side of things. Even when there are struggles on stage or with the soundboard, she finds a way to address them and ensure they don’t affect the end product.

When looking more behind the scenes, if you go into the costume room, many people are trying to finish their hair and makeup quickly before the show. Some of them are first-time actors, and some are recurring actors; all have different ways of putting on their stage makeup.

When asking some of the cast how they feel about being in a show right before the seniors leave, Freshman Sawyer Luker summed it up: