For Junior Ruri Kodama, CAT is an avenue to express her passion for singing, dancing and acting. Kodama joined CAT in her sophomore year because it seemed like an exciting opportunity to work with like-minded peers.

Said Kodama, “I had a couple of friends who were already in CAT, and it just seemed like a lot of fun, especially the shows that were being produced. I had already been doing theatre outside of school, starting around 3rd or 4th grade. I auditioned for CAT at the end of my freshman year.”

Ruri has participated in CAT’s productions of “Pippin,” “Clue” and “Ranked” and has taken on the crucial roles of lead actor, choreographer, and dance captain, so she has been through the process of putting on a show many times. This process consists of auditions, rehearsals, and the infamous “hell week”.

Said Kodama, “What was supposed to happen before the school cancellation was tech week, where we would stay until 9 o’clock with full costume, full makeup, full hair, lights, and sound, and we would just run the show over and over again. Tech week is usually what we call ‘hell week’ because you don’t get much sleep, you’re tired and it’s stressful. Sometimes there are moments of doubt about whether something will come together. But, it always comes together in the end.”

All of this hard work is worth it for Kodama when the show hits the Robert L. Gomez Theatre.

Said Kodama, “It is nerve-wracking when I’m on stage. A lot of things go through my mind when I look at the audience and see friends and families. I want to put on the best show possible so that people will be able to have a good time. On the last day of performances, we have to strike out. We clear the entire stage, take down the set, and then have a super late cast party at Denny’s.”

Out of all the CAT productions Kodama has been in, her favorite is “Clue.”

Said Kodama, “‘Clue’ is light and funny, and it’s based on the childhood game, so I definitely reminisced over it. We were proud to bring this beautiful show together, and we got closer through the ups and downs. As a lead, I learned how to do comedy, which is out of my comfort zone, as I am typically more of a dramatic actor. I learned that there are beats to help deliver a line and to make it funny. And I learned what lines are funny in the first place.”