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Penn Club of New York (30 W 44th Street, NYC)

Theater

At Kent Place, our theater program focuses on performance and a commitment to the original voice — and our students captivate their audiences.

Kent Place theater students are exposed to a variety of acting styles and genres that develop the skill of engaging with content, either published or devised, that allows their voices to be heard and their creativity to shine.

Our program seeks to develop artistic awareness and an appreciation of theater as an essential, valued part of contemporary culture.

The Value of Creative Expression

For students, the value of creative expression through theater is undeniable — but the unique approach that distinguishes our program is our clear focus on identifying and nurturing individual voice.

For more than 30 years, we've welcomed the development of countless new scripts, original performances, cabaret presentations, and exceptional student initiatives.

ensemble on theater stage
two girls joust on stage
two young women in a theater production
young woman performing monologue
3rd grade students perform outside
middle school mary poppins cast
12 angry men cast
we are monsters cast
two women singing on stage
the giver cast
finder and the north star cast

The Theater Program at KPS changed my life. I never thought I had what it takes to be on a stage, to pour myself into a character, or to be in the spotlight for more than a few minutes. But I discovered a passion in myself that I didn’t know existed. The experience I had in theater opened my eyes to the fulfillment and excitement that comes from live performance. I was challenged, I learned, I grew, I made amazing friends, and I had fun doing it." Asha, ALUMNA

DISCOVER OUR THEATER CURRICULUM

Just a few of our Upper School Opportunities

Acting Workshops

These workshops introduce 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.

Acting seminar

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. 
 

performance company

Offered to 11th- and 12th-graders in consultation with the Performing Arts Chair, students admitted to Performance Company work as an ensemble grounded in empathy, community, and social justice. As an acting and writing team, students contribute ideas and accept and incorporate the ideas of others as they prepare a devised or scripted work.

productions

Each year, the Upper School produces two fully-staged productions. Interested students are encouraged to apply. Previous productions include Silent Sky, The Hello Girls, Radium Girls, Les Miserables, and As You Like It. This fall's musical will be Chicago: High School Edition.


 

Theater program by Division

Slide

4th graders on stage

Primary School

Second-graders explore telling and sharing stories, while 3rd graders create an Opera.  Fourth and fifth-graders stage full productions, unravelling the challenges of plot twists and character portrayal.

Slide

young girls at theater rehearsal

Middle School

Learning creative theater skills through stage movement, the voice of the actor, pantomime, and improvisation, students can participate in a fully-staged play or musical. 7th and 8th-graders may also elect trimester workshops. 

Slide

young girl performing shakespeare

Upper School

From introductory acting workshops to academic theater classes (performing in published plays or collaborating on original work), students find close-knit community among actors and backstage crews.

uPCOMING tHEATER eVENTS