Lights, Camera, Action!

Dublin City Schools offer theater opportunities and life lessons for all

In January freshman year of high school, I broke my wrist in gymnastics and thought my life was over.

I was accustomed to training in the gym for hours every day and didn’t know what to do with my time. My mother suggested I try out for the spring musical, and I poured all of my energy into dancing, singing, acting and creating costumes.

My father was a professor and playwright, so I had attended numerous plays and worked backstage on his productions. I earned a part as a lady in waiting to the princess in

Once Upon a Mattress, the musical version of The Princess and the Pea. I was immediately welcomed by students in all grades and felt an incredible sense of community. Improving self confidence, communication and public speaking skills are just some of the numerous benefits of acting. Just going through the audition process, memorizing lines, singing and speaking in front of others, and learning to project are beneficial skills to carry through life.

Luke Bolyard is a senior at Dublin Scioto High School and has been acting on stage since sixth grade.

“My brother convinced me to try out for School of Rock in 2016 and although I was very shy at the time, being part of the cast helped me break out of my shell,” Luke says. “I honestly tried every sport but nothing clicked until I met my theater family.”

Jeff Horst is the new theater director at Dublin Jerome High School and explains that there are multiple opportunities for elementary- and middle-schoolers to get experience within Dublin Schools.

“For Flat Stanley Jr., kids were educated in the audition and rehearsal process, learned about blocking and positioning onstage, and got experience watching older students,” Jeff says. “Participating early increases the chance of students engaging in theater classes or drama club later on.”

Karrer Middle School sixth-grader Quinn Bailey has also been bitten by the acting bug. Quinn participated in a musical theater camp at Dublin Coffman High School last spring, where she was in the chorus for Oklahoma and then Newsies in fall.

Since then, she has enjoyed camps at The Abbey Theater of Dublin, weekly acting classes with Broadway2LA acting studio and her part in The Musical Adventures of Flat Stanley Jr. production at Dublin Jerome.

“Quinn walked right into that high school audition by herself and earned a speaking part,” Quinn’s mother, Megan, says. “It’s great to watch her shyness melt away when she is onstage.”

Columbus Children’s Theatre is a great place for performance opportunities and classes ranging from musical theater and dance to design and technology. The theater also holds summer camps with multiple themes for children and teens from June 5 to Aug. 4.

High-schoolers can sign up for an amazing summer workshop by the Lovewell Institute for the Creative Arts at Short North Stage. Lovewell is a notfor-profit organization where students work with experts to conceive, write, choreograph, rehearse and perform an original musical in just two weeks. This year’s workshop will be held in Columbus July 10-23.

It definitely takes many jobs behind the scenes coordinating together to make a performance successful. Pat Santanello, theater director at Dublin Scioto for three decades, lists out a variety of backstage jobs, including lighting, prop and costume design, sound, set design and construction, business management, publicity, program creation and much, much more.

The Dublin high schools offer classes like introduction to theater, advanced techniques and advanced acting ensemble. There is also a tech class to learn about set design, mechanics and production.

Whether you’re backstage, on stage or nowhere near the stage, all aspects of theater work require the ability to collaborate.

Sharing ideas, supporting one another and offering constructive feedback are important life skills that translate into success in multiple aspects of life.

Luke will graduate this spring from Dublin Scioto and is planning to major in vocal education in college. He tries to see as many plays as he can and especially enjoys the Broadway series musicals and viewing the adaptations of plays at other schools.

“I recommend taking that first step toward the theater family whether it’s behind the scenes or on stage,” Luke says. “Any fear you have will be outweighed by the welcoming dramatics community and the lifelong friends you make.”

Colleen D’Angelo is a Dublin Life columnist and freelance writer. She and her husband, Tony, raised three children in Dublin over the last 25 years.

Colleen enjoys playing and teaching pickleball; walking her pup, Mason; and traveling internationally. You can reach her at colleendangelo1@gmail.com.