2. At East High School, Troy Bolton tells his Jock friends, Chad Danforth and Zeke Baylor, about meeting Gabriella Montez
on New Year's Eve during winter vacation on a ski trip. Gabriella, who has just moved to Albuquerque, also tells her
newfound Brainiac friends Taylor McKessie, Kelsi Nielsen and Martha Cox of her vacation. We meet Sharpay and Ryan
Evans, the two drama stars of the school. Sharpay is selfish, and Ryan follows her orders but tries to be friends with
everyone. Troy and Gabriella have a flashback to New Year's Eve when they met. One-half of the song is during the
flashback, then we return to East High where Chad, Taylor, Kelsi, Ryan, Sharpay, Zeke and other students sing of their
New Year's Resolutions.
In homeroom, Mrs. Darbus tells her class of the upcoming winter musical, "Juliet and Romeo", a new version of
Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet", written by Kelsi Nielsen, a shy East High student. When Ryan, Sharpay, Troy, and
Gabriella start using their cell phones, Mrs. Darbus gives them all detention. Chad interferes, telling Mrs. Darbus that
Troy cannot go because they have basketball practice after school and that they have an upcoming championship
game. Mrs. Darbus then gives Chad a 30 minute detention, and gives Taylor detention when she remarks that Chad
can't even count that high. At Gabriella's locker, Troy runs into her and they show their amazement of how they found
each other again. Sharpay walks by and tries to flirt with Troy, but he shows no interest in her. Sharpay observes that
he is interested in Gabriella and she is interested in him. Later, the Jocks have basketball practice
Discovering that Gabriella was a very intelligent Brainiac at her old school, Sharpay prints her newfound information
and puts it in Taylor's locker. The students later head to the Mrs. Darbus's room for detention, and act like animals.
Taylor then asks Gabriella again to join the Scholastic Decathlon team based on the printouts Sharpay planted in her
locker, and Gabriella agrees. Everyone does the 'ball of noise,' and Coach Bolton comes to get Troy and Chad for
practice and then talks to Mrs. Darbus about it.
The next day, thespians audition for the play. Sharpay and Ryan audition as well. After the auditions have been
declared closed, Gabriella and Troy sing the song as Kelsi intended it - much slower. Although Troy and Gabriella did
not intend it to be an audition they are called back for a second audition. When their friends hear the news they
spread it via cell phones.
Sharpay is furious, believing Troy and Gabriella have stolen the lead roles and broken the 'rules' of East High. Though
most of the school agrees, lyrical chaos erupts during a lunch break when students begin telling their secret
obsessions outside of their cliques. The scene culminates with Sharpay getting 'caked' by Zeke (who secretly likes
her), after Gabriella spins into him. Act I ends with Sharpay angrily shouting "Someone is going to pay for this!"
3. Jack Scott recaps events before Troy and Gabriella dance on the rooftop garden. Zeke comes to Sharpay's locker and tries
to flirt with her. Meanwhile, the Jocks and Brainiacs plot against the infuriated duo during study hall. Sharpay and Ryan see
the Jocks and the Brainiacs mingling together and imagine they are trying to help Troy and Gabriella. So Sharpay lies to
Mrs. Darbus saying that Troy and his dad are trying to ruin the auditions because she gave Troy detention. Later at practice,
Mrs. Darbus talks to Troy's dad and then he talks to Troy. Gabriella comes to practice to see Troy while Martha comes and
takes her to the lab. Troy's dad thinks Gabriella is the reason why Troy got detention. He tells Troy that he is a playmaker and
not a singer. This infuriates Troy who angrily asks his father if he ever wondered if he could be both and storms off in a rage,
leaving his father stunned.
The Jocks and Brainiacs put their plan to work, pushing at Troy and Gabriella to 'split up'. Eventually, Troy, furious with his
friends for telling him the same things his dad did, gives in and pretends that he doesn't like Gabriella, completely oblivious
to the phone in Zeke's hand, transmitting Troy's words directly to Gabriella. Gabriella hears and becomes very upset. Troy
and Gabriella, lonely and upset, sing.The Jocks and Brainiacs then realize that they have gone too far and feel guilty for
ruining Troy and Gabriella's relationship.
The next day, Sharpay and Ryan are rehearsing for their callback while Sharpay talks to Ryan about her role in the school.
Then Troy comes in looking for Gabriella and Ryan tells him that she is in the theatre. Troy goes to the theatre and tells
Gabriella that they were set up and he didn't mean what he said and sings to remind her of New Year's Eve.
Hearing that the callback date has been moved up by request of Sharpay to the same time as the big game and the
Scholastic Decathlon, Troy and Gabriella announce to the Jocks and Brainiacs that they are going to not do the callback,
but instead help their respective teams for their events. The Jocks and Brainiacs say they should do the callbacks. Troy and
Gabriella refuse, but the teams decide to lend a helping hand anyway.
On the day of the big game/Decathlon/callbacks, the students are excited for the festivities. Sharpay and Ryan perform
their callback song, which at the same time happens with the basketball championship and the science decathlon, during
which Taylor engineers an electronic meltdown in the decathlon and light malfunctions in the game, which forces all the
students to move to the theater. Chad and Taylor explain to Troy and Gabriella that this is their only chance. Mrs. Darbus,
hesitant to allow Troy and Gabriella an audition due to their lateness, has no choice but to let them audition as the
auditorium fills with students. Mrs. Darbus gives Troy and Gabriella the parts on the spot with everyone watching.
The end of Act II brings us to the gym where all the main characters wrap up their plots (Chad asks out Taylor, Zeke gets
Sharpay to be nice to him, Jack Scott and Kelsi literally fall head over heels for each other, and Sharpay makes up with
Gabriella and Troy). The Wildcats win the big game and the Decathlon. The students celebrate, followed by a recap of all
the major songs in the show.
4. Historical: Set around 2007.
Geographical: Set in "East High", a fictional high school in
Albuquerque, New Mexico U.S.A.
Social: Centres around Middle and working class students
at an American high school.
5. The Jocks -
Troy Bolten - Captain of the basketball team. Lead role.
Chad Danforth - Member of basketball team. Troy's friend. Supporting role.
The Thespians -
Sharpay Evans - Obnoxious lead role in all productions. Vanessa's rival for Troy's affection. Captain
of the drama club. Lead role.
Ryan Evans - Sharpay's lackey. In most productions alongside his sister, Sharpay. Supporting role.
Kelsi Neilson - Pianist for the drama club. Song writer. Supporting role.
Geeks -
Gabriella Montez - Intelligent. The "new girl". Love interest of Troy. Lead role.
Taylor McKessie - Best friend of Gabriella. Leader of 'the brainiacs'
Teachers -
Coach Bolten - Basketball coach. Troy's father.
Mrs Darbus - impatient, enthusiastic, no-nonsense drama teacher.
6. Set:
Prop tree out of chicken-wire and mod rock.
Costume:
Basket-ball uniform.
Graduation hats.
Sound
School bells.
Lockers.