Theater

Beginning in second grade, theater workshops invite students to explore various ways of telling and sharing stories. Students are introduced to dramatic exercises including improvisations, dialogue exercises, stage movement, miming, and puppetry. 

Fourth-grade theater students have an opportunity to participate in a staged musical theater workshop production. Ensemble in nature, the collaborative piece introduces students to theater terminology, character development, and acting technique.

The Shakespeare Unit offers fifth-grade students a more advanced opportunity to participate in the rehearsal process and performance of a play. Students work with a scripted adaptation of a Shakespearean comedy and work together to unravel the challenges presented in the language, plot twists, and characters.

The trimester-long workshop introduces students to beginning acting techniques and creative theater skills through stage movement, the voice of the actor, pantomime, and improvisation.

Available for 7th and 8th graders, students work together to develop theater skills by analyzing and rehearsing scenes from full-length plays as they explore character development, objective, conflict, and resolution. Improvisation, scene study, acting techniques, and theater games are all a part of the Acting Workshop.

Every year, the Middle School produces a play or musical that culminates in fully staged performances for family and friends. All students who are interested are encouraged to audition. Regular rehearsals offer preparation time for students, in addition to exploration in character development, memorization, prop and costume building, and scenic design.

This workshop introduces students to basic acting techniques and skills including Linklater voice work, improvisation, text and character analysis, and defining objectives and actions through deliberate decision making. The class culminates in group acting projects with in-class performances for a small audience.

The Acting Seminar is designed for 10th- and 11th-grade actors to refine their ability to "respond truthfully under imaginary circumstances." Students acquire tangible acting skills that deepen the actor's connection to the play, allowing them to build believable and sustainable characters in a scene or play. Performances opportunities are offered throughout the year. 

Offered to 11th and 12th graders in consultation with the Performing Arts Chair, students admitted to Performance Company will work as an ensemble grounded in empathy, community, and social justice. Students will have the opportunity to perform in published plays and work as a team to develop new and original work that is performed throughout the school year. As an acting and writing team, students contribute ideas and accept and incorporate the ideas of others in preparing for a devised or scripted work.

Each year, the Upper School produces two fully-staged productions. Interested students are encouraged to apply. Previous productions include Radium Girls, One Acts, Les Miserables, and As You Like It.