A show intended for the freshmen but also resonant with the upperclassmen, Real AD brings to every NYU Abu Dhabi student’s attention an array of topics relevant to our community and its people. This year, 12 upperclassmen composed numerous dance numbers and songs that shed light on the struggles, stress and stereotypes that surround our small campus in the hopes of conveying the message that no matter what, students will always have someone willing to listen to and guide them.

The Real AD rehearsals commenced at the NYU Tisch School of Arts three months prior to the performance. The cast engaged in three hours of rehearsals each day, starting off with sharing thoughts, composing pieces and then fine-tuning harmony and choreography.

“The creative process was difficult and challenging. In the beginning it was just like a feedback loop — writing then sharing then writing then sharing. I struggled to develop the strength and confidence to build my stage presence in New York,” said Kevin Mokhtar, Class of 2020.

Archita Arun, Class of 2020, expressed similar concerns when she said, “I was so lost and confused during the first month of rehearsal. I felt like I wasn’t contributing enough.”

However, the cast was guided by the distinguished director Preston Martin, who also directs the NYU Shanghai and NYU New York shows. Additionally, with the help of assistant directors, music directors, stage managers and choreographers, the cast was able to prioritize the topics that mattered most to them and the community.

“We really pushed the boundaries this time and made it a point to engage with issues such as politics and consent whilst still staying true to the show by repeating pieces such as Forbidden Fruit,” said Mokhtar. The cast agreed unanimously that this year’s show depicted the realities of our NYUAD community more precisely by touching upon mental health, sexuality and gender more bluntly.

"Obviously every experience had its ups and downs, and when you have to go to those deep, darker places to write material on, say, body image or mental health, things got hard. But the support we all gave each other made all of those experiences, good or bad or personal or hilarious, amazing and special,” said Hunter Peterson, Class of 2020.

The cast also had round table discussions with Tina Wadhwa, Associate Director of Health Promotion and Sexual Misconduct Support, regarding sexual assaults and discrimination in order to gauge how the content of the show is perceived by the administration. The students were unanimous in their view that the filters that the content had to pass through were fewer in comparison to previous years.

Aside from being able to convey more taboo and sensitive topics, the cast also shed light on some issues they felt were growing in their relevance. For example, “Let Them Eat Cake” was a song many in the cast found important as they believed that it was a metaphor for the shallow complaints that people have, despite having incredible support and recourses handed to them on a silver platter. Lastly, the cast made sure to include some lighter, more fun songs such as the “Freshman Training” or the comedy sketch on Campus Cats.

“It was not like any show I've done, [because] this was really for the community and it didn't feel like we were performing to the audience, but rather they were also a part in the show,” said Peterson. Overall, the cast put their best foot forward so as to take into consideration what the audience would feel watching the show.

“I didn't expect Real AD to have as big of an impact on me [as] it actually had. I thought I was just going to make a musical and that's it, but writing about these problems and situations, we really needed to be open and dig into our feelings and experiences at NYUAD, and so we all became a lot closer together and it was a great tool of reflection,” said Peterson.

Speaking of reflection, Real AD has definitely resonated more with the upperclassmen since they have actually experienced the scenarios being portrayed in the show. For many, this year’s Real AD has served as a reminder to keep the school spirit up, to embrace this university’s flaws and cherish the people that make this campus the melting pot of cultures, traditions and ideologies that it is.

As for the cast members, Real AD was an experience of a lifetime. "I would do it again just for that day… being mic’d, performing in front of Andrew Hamilton, the excitement of the uncertain. It was all so surreal,” said Arun.

Peterson concluded by saying, "I didn't feel the impact Real AD had on me until I came back to campus and I came back with just a general and overwhelming positivity and happiness about this community. It sounds corny but it just really helped me see the wonderful parts of what makes this community and opportunity special." It’s safe to say that more than just Peterson left the room feeling that way.