Arts

Theatre

Through a series of academic, practical, and professional approaches, the Theatre Arts program provides an enviable experience of both making and reflecting on the significance of theatre today.

Our middle school students take Theatre as a required Fine Arts class where they focus on learning how to be comfortable with being uncomfortable and how to present and have confidence in front of a group. Theatre continues through middle and upper school with upper school students having the opportunity to be a part of an annual extracurricular fall play and winter musical. 
 
As the Theatre journey starts in Middle School, we focus on skills that will allow them to become resilient students with independence and cognitive performance skills to become curious critical presenters.
 
Students then can choose to continue in Theatre as part of their Art Credit in Upper School advancing to the top levels of stage performances to become diligent students of on and off-stage skills expressing their high character and showing their curiosity as critical performers.

"We Will Rock You"

WINTER PRODUCTION 2018

Upper School Productions

Each year the Fine Arts Department stages two major productions; a musical and play which rotate during the Fall and Winter trimesters in order to give every student an opportunity to be involved in both types of productions. 

All students are eligible to take part in these productions as actors, stage crew, lighting operators, or as instrumentalists in the pit orchestra. Auditions and teacher approval are required to be a part of the productions and not everyone who auditions will earn a position within the production. Most rehearsals take place at the same time as sport practices, so students who take a sport may not be eligible to participate in a production during that same season.

Curriculum

List of 5 items.

  • Middle School Theatre

    Middle school students take Theatre for one trimester each year. Starting in fifth grade students will embark on a four year journey that will build their overall theatre skills, stage presence, and self confidence in front of an audience. The curriculum is cumulative through each grade, but it is also designed to be accessible to newcomers at any level.

    The Academies theatre curriculum includes and builds upon all state and national standards. Topics covered include: theatre history and technology, acting theories, monologue and scene work memorization, monologue and dialogue writing, theatre combat techniques, how to critique, and improvisation.
  • Advanced Theatre Arts

    Advanced Theatre Arts meets every day and at the same time as Theatre Arts which will enable advanced students build upon their theatre knowledge while serving as mentors to the other students. This course is designed so that a student will be able focus in on the areas of theatre that interest them the most while directing dialogues/plays, helping with warm ups and also research and present on various topics.  Advanced Theatre Arts students are required to perform during the two ‘Dialogue, Improv, and Monologue Evenings’ (D.I.M.E.) and the Celebration of the Arts which is considered a part of the trimester finals.  
  • Theatre Arts

    Theatre Arts meets every day during the six day rotation where students will have the opportunity to study and experience all aspects of the theatre arts. Topics covered include: basic acting styles, theatre vocabulary, how to be a stage manager, play study, an introduction to miming and theatre combat, how to interpret a monologue, basic improv skills, monologue and scene work memorization, and set design. Students are required to perform during the two ‘Dialogue, Improv, and Monologue Evenings’ (D.I.M.E.) and the Celebration of the Arts which is considered a part of the trimester finals.  
  • Filmmaking

    Filmmaking meets every day during the six day rotation where students will have the opportunity to study and experience all aspects of making a film. This course is designed so that a student would be able to then go home and make a film with basic equipment. Topics covered include: how to write a script, camera 101, sound and boom operation, lighting, directing, basic acting skills, editing, soundtracks, sound editing, and basic movie history. Students will make and/or be involved on the creative teams of various film projects and are required to attend the end of year film festival.
  • Advanced Filmmaking

    Advanced Filmmaking meets every day and at the same time as Filmmaking which will enable Advanced Students build upon their theatre knowledge while serving as mentors to the other students. Topics covered include: cinematography, advanced lighting, directing, advanced acting skills, editing a longer film, creating an original soundtrack, and foleying . Advanced students will also learn how to be a on-sight producer, supervising a production unit during filming.  Students will make and/or be involved on the creative teams of various film projects and are required to attend the end of year film festival.

Faculty

List of 2 members.

  • Photo of Rich Johnson

    Rich Johnson 

    Visual and Performing Arts Faculty and Director
    (518) 429-2300
  • Photo of Matthew Streifert

    Matthew Streifert 

    Visual & Performing Arts Faculty
    (518) 429-2300

Upper School Campus

Lower And Middle School Campus

Schellenberger Alumni/ae Center