ARTS: PERFORMING - DRAMA The drama program aims to provide a variety of opportunities for students to build performance and writing skills in theater and film. Drama is an expressive art that requires careful analysis and observation of the self - alone and in relation to others. To study drama is to study what it means to be human in a universal way and what it means to be us as individuals in a very specific way. We incorporate a variety of schools of dramatic thought and practice of 20th Century naturalistic theatre training. During our variety of projects and processes, we build a strong sense of community, support, and teamwork. Fall Semester Courses N/A
Spring Semester Courses Acting and Directing (Spring 2024) Playwriting Theatre Design & Technology
SPRING SEMESTER COURSES (1 credit) ACTING AND DIRECTING *(open to all grades) (Offered spring 2024) The purpose of this course is to build skills as an actor and a director. Students will study naturalistic acting techniques as developed by renown theater practitioners whose work span the last 150 years. The community of actors in the class will build a strong, collaborative team and create a safe space through drama games and theater exercises. Students will use improvisational acting to create character and define all elements of creating a scene. All members will be responsible for acting and directing specific scenes from contemporary plays. This course is designed for students who are comfortable speaking and performing as well as for the shy student interested in improving confidence and communication skills. PLAYWRITING (open to 11th & 12th grades) This class will study the craft of playwriting by creating monologues, scenes, and short plays. In addition, students will study and practice screenwriting and evaluate the differences between the two forms. As students write their own plays, they will study the work of leading playwrights in the American Theater as a means to understand current trends and styles of contemporary dramatists. Students will share their final one-act plays or short films in a showcase at the end of the semester. This course may be taken for either Arts or English credit.
*This course is offered in alternating years. It will not be offered for the 2022 – 2023 school year.
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