The document provides a synopsis and context for the musical High School Musical. It summarizes the plot of the first two acts, introducing the main characters Troy Bolton, Gabriella Montez, Sharpay Evans, and Ryan Evans. It also provides background on the setting of East High School in Albuquerque, New Mexico and discusses the social dynamics typically found in American high schools. Key creative aspects of the musical like scenery, lighting, props, costumes, and sound effects are briefly described.

1. High School
MusicalDirected by Kenny Ortega
Written by Peter Barsocchini
Premiere on August 1, 2006

2. Synopsis: Act 1
•At East High School, Troy Bolton tells his jock friends Chad and Zeke about meeting Gabriella on News
Year Eve that winter break. Gabriella who has just moved to that school also tells her new found friends
Taylor, Martha and Kelsi about meeting troy that winter break too. Also meet the other two main drama
characters Sharpey and Ryan. Have a flashback to when they meet and then all other students sing about there
new years resolutions.
•In homeroom Mrs Darbus tells her class about the upcoming school musical written by Kelsi. Then all the
students get put in detention for being on their cell phones. Troy runs up to Gabriella’s at the end of class and
show there amazement of seeing each other again. Sharpey walks by and trys to flirt with troy but he isn't
interested and she notices how Gabriella and Troy like each other. Later the jocks have basketball practise.
•In a science class where Gabriella shows how smart she is. Taylor asks if Gabriella will join the science club
to win there competition but she says no. Later there in detention and act like animals. Gabriella agrees to join
the science team whilst Coach Bolton comes and collects Troy and Chad for basketball practise because they
have a big game coming up.
• Bad audition scene and Sharpey and Ryan do theirs then the auditions are closed whilst Troy and Gabriella
sing and Mrs Darbus hears and offers them a call back. When there friends hear the news Sharpey is furious
because they have stolen the leads rules and broken the status quo of East High and most of the school agrees.
And students tell there secret obsessions. Then Sharpey gets cake thrown at her by Zeke by accident and this
act ends with Sharpey shouting.

3. Synopsis: Act 2
•Act two starts with Jack Scott recapping recent events whilst Troy and Gabriella dance on the rooftop garden.
Zeke comes to Sharpey locker and trys to flirt. Meanwhile the Jocks and Brainy kids plot against the new duo.
Mrs Darbus talks to Troy dad. Then Martha takes Gabriella to the science labs. Troy's dad thinks Gabriella is a
problem and a distraction. Troy and his Dad has an argument.
•The Jocks and Brainy kids puts there plan to work to push Gabriella and Troy to split up, eventually Troy gives
in and pretend that he doesn't like Gabriella and doesn't notice that Zeke is videoing him and sending it to
Gabriella and she gets very upset. The Jocks and Brainy kids realise they have gone to far.
•Sharpey and Ryan are rehearsing and tells Ryan how she is the leader of the school. He goes to the theatre and
tells Gabriella how they were set up and reminds her how they met. They find out the show has been moved to
the same time as the Big Basketball Game and the Science competition. They tells there friends that there not
going to do the call back and there friends say they should sing instead. There friends help them do both.
•Everyone is excited. Sharpey and Ryan perform there song. Taylor engineers an electronic problem which
forces everyone to have to pause what they are doing and go to the theatre. Chad and Taylor explain to Troy and
Gabriella that they need to do it. And they end up getting the lead roles in the school musical.
•End of Act 2 all the characters rap up there plots and the wildcats win there big game and the Brainy kids win
there Science competition. They repeat all the major songs within the show.

4. Contextual
understanding :
GEOGRAPHICAL :
This Play was set in East High School, Albuquerque, New Mexico. It is the
most populous city in the U.S state of New Mexico. It is also one of the
largest school districts in the nation, provides educational services to over
87,000 children across the city. All three of Disney’s High School
Musical movies are set in Albuquerque, at the fictional Albuquerque East High
School (Wildcats). This is a typical American High School with all the different
cliques and groups of kids with similar interests.
HISTORICAL:
The play is set in the present day within New Mexico, and is very modern and
up to date. It is within modern and middle class.
SOCIAL:
Because the play is modern day it had all the
Social issues of today with the different cliques
Of the typical American cool where popularity
is seen as one of the most important things.

5. Characters: Troy Bolton
Troy Bolton is 16 years old and goes to East
High School (in Albuquerque, New Mexico)
He is the main lad of the musical. He is one of
East High's most popular students and is cocky
and very good at Basketball but is also very
kind, and is also the captain of the school's
basketball team. Troy is the only child of Jack
and Lucille Bolton; Jack is also the coach of the
East High basketball team and puts additional
pressure on Troy to excel. He is also the
boyfriend of Gabriella Montez. He is best
friends with Chad Danforth. He's also friends
with Ryan Evans, which is quite the opposite
for Gabriella and Sharpay Evans' situation.

6. Gabriella Montez
Gabriella is 16 years old and begins
attending East High School mid-year.
Hoping to escape the "freaky genius girl"
reputation she had earned at her previous
schools where she quickly makes friends
with Taylor McKessie. She is girlfriends
with Troy Bolton and is a very shy and
extremely nice girl.

7. Sharpay Evans
Sharpey is a 16 year old girl who attends East High
School. She is the co-president of the East High
drama department alongside her twin brother, Ryan,
with whom she has starred in 17 school productions.
Sharpay appears to have the most power in the drama
department, leaving Ryan as her right-hand man.
However, the sibling loyalty is not always mutual.
Sharpay's family is very wealthy and love Sharpay so
much and treat her like a princess. Sharpay is shown
as being somewhat popular but also feared. Fear also
appears to be the reason why other students, such as
Kelsi Nielsen. Sharpay is sometimes the victim of
playful jokes and light teasing from the East High
basketball team, despite the fact that one of their star
players, Zeke Baylor, has a crush on Sharpay. She is
very rude and self absorbed but you don’t hate her.

8. Ryan Evans
Ryan Evans is 16 and attends East High
School. He is the twin brother of Sharpay
Evans. Like his sister, Ryan is very much
involved with musical theatre and performing.
Ryan is well known for wearing different
styles of hats. He is depicted as being dim-
witted and completely submissive to Sharpay,
though this could be because he likes Troy and
Gabriella. He is a lovely boy and is really
bubbly within the production.

9. Chad Danforth
Chad is 16 and attends East High School.
He is Troy Bolton's best friend and
teammate. Chad is known for wearing
shirts with eccentric phrases and messages
on them. At the end of the production,
Chad asks Taylor on a date. He is very
popular within the school and is a very
confident and likable charcter.

10. Taylor McKessie
Taylor is 16 and attends East High Middle
School. She is the president of the science
club at East High and a member of the
school's national decathlon team. She is a
strong and confident and opintionated
person and is also very nice and caring.
Taylor is a feminist and admires many
important women in history. She is also
shown to have a wide range of knowledge,
including anything from computers to the
daily lunch special in the school cafeteria.
she is shown as finding the school's athlete
as tribal. She is also impressed at the
intellect of new student Gabriella Montez,
and soon they become best friends. At the
end of the production, Taylor is asked out
by Chad.

11. Kelsi Nielsen
Kelsi is 16 and attends East High School.
She is a songwriter and composer and
student at East High. She is very
introverted and is very intimidated by
Sharpay Evans, the president of the
school's drama department. Ms. Darbus,
the director of the school's winter musical,
allows Kelsi to compose the music. She is
shy and caring girl who loves music and
make true friends with all of the character.

12. Creative ideas
Scenery:
Backdrops, hangings, furnishings,
and other accessories on a stage that
represent the location of a scene. For
example: During High School Musical
They include many hanging of the
name of the high school at the back
and the basketball team to clearly
show where the play is set.
Scenic Lighting:
This is when there is lighting within
the set such as a lamp. For
Example: within high school
musical there are lights within Ms.
Darbus office where she has a
small lamp shade.

13. Creative Ideas
Props:
A prop is a small object such as a book, weapon etc, used by
actors in a play or film. For Example within the Production of
High School Musical, many basketball will be used in the
different games and songs and dances within the performance.
Costume:
Costume within a production is the different outfits for all the
different characters. Within High School Musical there are many
different costume changes and each costume normally
represents a different clique within the school such as the sporty
jocks all wear basketball outfit all the time to show who they are
and Sharpay wears very girly and dramatic outfits to portray her
character.
Sound:
The music within the production is all the
different sound and many different found sounds
such as the bouncing of the basketballs.

14. My ideas