Theatre Arts
Through classes in improvisation, mime, scene study and play production, you’ll develop the skills of both vocal and physical expression. Rehearsal and performance of classic and contemporary plays, along with student-generated and original scripts, provide you with the opportunity to develop communication, collaboration and cooperation skills too.
Through theater courses, you’ll have the opportunity to
- Collaborate with your peers while learning stage design and technology.
- Strengthen your theatrical and acting techniques while building an ensemble.
- Study the history, methods and goals of spoken word and perform your own work.
- Get experience in stage design and technology starting in middle school and put your skills to practice in upper school.
- You can even learn costume design with an experienced designer.
Theater Department Highlights
- The Blackbox Theatre features state-of-the-art lighting, quadrophonic sound systems and a fully-equipped scene-building shop.
- The Theatre team also joins forces with music to produce a musical.
Theatre Arts Course Catalog
Middle School
Intro to Theatre
This class explores foundations of the art of theatre through creative drama, improvisation, and other interdisciplinary arts activities. Students learn to use their “theatre voice” to express aspects of their identity and their community.
Middle School Theatre Production
This full-year course aims to strengthen students’ theatrical and acting techniques while building an ensemble and a sense of community through live performance. Students audition, rehearse and work toward staging performances of full-length plays and musicals. The performances reflect Applied Theatre pedagogy, with a strong concentration in critical thinking, student-centered dialogue and social justice issues that matter most to students. This class partners with the Middle School Stagecraft and Technology course to create full and innovative productions. We empower theatre students to inspire positive change and transformation of the world in which they want to be active participants. Prerequisite: Successful audition or approval of theatre director.
MIDDLE SCHOOL THEATRE COLLECTIVE
Ancestral Storytelling
Ancestral Storytelling offers fun as a vital part of how students can locate their own identities through activities based on Theatre of the Oppressed. Students collaborate on creating short scenes and monologues to create a sense of belonging by examining how our personal connections, communities and values influence our relationships to our origins, and who we'd like to become in the future.
Suzuki and Viewpoints
Suzuki and Viewpoints presents an active exploration of the physical aspects of theatre related to time, space and kinesthetic awareness, as well as response to surrounding environments. Suzuki is a Japanese movement technique that strengthens an actor’s will and brings out each student's unique personality and stage presence. The experience can help students succeed at whatever challenges they may face in the world.
Young Playwrights Program
The Young Playwrights Program explores the fundamentals of writing for the stage. In this class, students collaborate in small groups and learn how to write original scripts, then the plays are performed by the opposite groups. The course is a wonderful way for students to find their own voice.
Middle School Stage Design & Technology
Middle School Stage Design & Technology introduces students to theatrical engineering and technology working together to produce events in the theater and around the school. This is a hands-on, project-based course open to all seventh and eighth graders interested in technology, carpentry, drafting and engineering, costuming, design, art, architecture, electronics and more. Some after-school, evening and weekend availability is required, depending on event schedules. Prerequisite: Completion of Middle School Theatre Production/Intro to Theatre or teacher approval.
Upper School
Advanced Theatre Production • Grades 9-12
This year-long course offers students the opportunity to participate in a fully produced play and/or musical in addition to student-directed one-acts. Auditions are required for all interested students. Ensemble members have the opportunity to hone dramatic skills, and to build an ensemble and a sense of community through collaboration and live performance. They learn acting techniques, and strengthen language skills, critical thinking, dialogue, concentration, cooperation and more. The main course objective is to empower individuals and community through theatre; to inspire transformation and lasting change in our shared educational space and the outside world. Prerequisite: Audition required.
Performance Lab • Grades 9-12
This full-year course works to strengthen each student’s theatrical and acting technique while building an ensemble and a sense of community. Students work toward sharing small group performances and solo project performances based in Applied Theatre, Improv, Acting Fundamentals and Theatre for Social Justice. No prerequisite. All are welcome.
Upper School Student-Led Theatre Collective • Grades 11-12
This capstone-style theatre class for advanced students culminates in student-driven final production projects. Students read and analyze scripts, workshop creative concepts, and develop an ensemble. The course offers guest workshops in applied theatre and design/technology, and opportunities to specialize in directing, design, or acting. Prerequisite: At least one previous credit in Upper School Advanced Theatre Production or Stage Design & Technology.
Stage Design and Technology • Grades 9-12
This is a hands-on, projects-based course in which students coordinate work with colleagues in Upper School Advanced Theatre Production to create mainstage plays and musicals, while also providing support for performing arts events school-wide. In addition to practicing legacy crafts like carpentry, painting and lighting, students explore advanced tools in 21st-century theatre production, such as CAD drafting and rendering, video-projection mapping, robotics and automation, and digital audio. Prerequisite: Enrollment in one previous theatre course, excluding 6th grade drama.
Costume Design Level 1 • Grades 9-12
Costume Design Level 1 introduces 9th-12th grade students to the fundamentals of costume design. Through demonstrations and hands-on projects, students explore the tools and techniques of costume crafts, including sewing, patterning, millinery, hair and make-up. Students in this course also support theatre performances from the Performance Lab and Improv Theatre classes. No prerequisite; all are welcome.
Upper School Student-Led Theatre Collective • Grades 11-12
This capstone-style theatre class for advanced students culminates in student-driven final production projects. Students read and analyze scripts, workshop creative concepts, and develop an ensemble. The course offers guest workshops in applied theatre and design/technology, and opportunities to specialize in directing, design, or acting. Prerequisite: At least one previous credit in Upper School Advanced Theatre Production or Stage Design & Technology.
