A documentary of the production of this year’s musical, Oklahoma!, will be made to capture the process of a high school musical.

Producer of the documentary Art Hsieh is working with Oklahoma! director Amy Moorhead to produce a documentary following the musical from auditions to the final show.

Hsieh said he wanted to push himself to make a long-term project as well as support the theater arts program in Piedmont.

“I really want to capture the hard work the theater students have to do in order to put together what appears to be an effortless production,” Hsieh said.

Moorhead said it will be a good visual to have of the process.

“It is an opportunity to see the musical through a different medium,” said Moorehead. “[It] provides a different perspective, a new way of looking at the process.

Hsieh said he chose to make the documentary at Piedmont because his son Jacob was active in the theater and musicals.

“When he was at Piedmont, I photographed many of the shows over a few years, mostly for fun. Some parents asked for prints, and I started selling them to generate some funds for the theater program,” Hsieh said.

Hsieh said he wanted to make a project that would be instructive and revealing.

“I wanted to see if I could capture the energy of a Broadway musical as interpreted by talented, motivated high school students,” Hsieh said.

Hsieh takes photos and videos during rehearsals and auditions.

“Hsieh is a skilled photographer and manages to disappear,” said Moorhead, “The cast forgets he’s there.

Junior Madeline Turner is in the musical for the second year in a row. She said that it hasn’t interrupted the rehearsals.

“He’s just on the side taking photos, it isn’t distracting,” Turner said.

Hsieh has been doing photography for many years. He started out with film and now uses digital.

“For the most part it is a personal project,” Hsieh said. “I wanted to push myself as a photographer in a creative way by producing a long term project”

Hsieh plans to film through out the whole production.

“I started the first day of tryouts. I have been at rehearsals a couple of times now, and hope to keep shooting until the curtain falls on the last night,” Hsieh said.

Hsieh said Oklahoma! is a classic and uniquely American production.

“[Oklahoma!] may seem a bit old-fashioned for today’s theater goers, but the songs, dance and values are timeless,” Hsieh said.