Drama

You can do so many cool and different things—graphic arts, Student Produced Works, Architecture, Play Production, creating your own projects. Also they encourage us with things like Music Day and Coffee House.” Hayley '16 and Eleanor '16

In the Middle School Drama program, sixth grade students are introduced to the fundamentals of theater: story and character. Seventh and eighth grade students then have the opportunity to learn all aspects of theater art and craft including creating a character, learning the discipline of rehearsal and performance, designing and building sets, lights, props and costumes and finally bringing all those elements together in public performances. This work is based on the ethics of the theater, which include preparation, doing your own work and leaving space for others to do their own work, taking risks and supporting others as they take risks, and putting the show first

Upper School students are given the opportunity to experience the process theater artists use to create meaningful theatrical experiences incorporating multiple levels of learning. Stagecraft students are exposed to the entire process of theatrical design, execution of theory by building their designs and finally the tech crew for performance. Play Production student actors (from audition to performance in both musical and non-musical plays) are exposed to the same process all actors embrace to perform in a fully mounted production. Acting or Reacting class students are exposed to an intense and fun semester course that focuses on learning acting skills from theater improvisation to scene study workshops. Mime and Stage Combat students focus on developing their physical performance strengths, and Film Studies classes cover the science and art of the motion picture on multiple levels from its earliest days to the present.

Student Distinctions:

• Middle School musical productions of Once Upon a Mattress, Zombie Prom: The Atomic Edition, and Monte Christo, James and the Giant Peach
• Upper School productions that cover an amazing variety of exposure to various forms of theater such as The Laramie Project, Little Shop of Horrors, The Rememberer, Urinetown, Rent, A Company of Wayward Saints and As You Like It
• Student written, directed, designed and performed plays, including Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, Zanna Don’t, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, The Fantasticks, and Eurydice
• Original student plays and musicals, including I’d Like to but I Can’t and The Border Line

Faculty:

• Theater faculty Paul Fleming and Meleesa Wyatt regularly direct and act in regional theater productions.