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There are inspiring theatre teachers in hundreds of high schools, but then there are programs that are nearly awe-inspiring. Our readers have made their case for five in particular, and so we present the five High School Theatre Honors Program winners for 2010. While they’ve reached their journey of excellence through completely uniquely ways, they have one thing in common: strong community and administration support, plus excellent peers.
Northeast
Cambridge Rindge and Latin School
Cambridge, Mass.
“Their's is a team approach,” wrote one admirer. “And the skill, care, and love that they put into these kids brings out talent that is beyond anyone’s expectations.” Apparently it’s not just the craft students learn at Cambridge Rindge and Latin School, but passion.
The school’s drama staff consists of Dr. Elaine Koury, K-12 Coordinator for the visual and performing arts, and drama teachers Brett Cramp and Monica Murray. “We’re proud of our program because it’s comprehensive,” says Murray. “Kids get a range of opportunity here.” The Elements of Theatre class is a requirement, which is an intro class that touches on basic improv, pantomime and monologue and scene work. “It’s important because there we build a sense of safety and kindness that allows for risk taking later.”
They all are enjoying the fact that their theatre has just been renovated. Joanne Farwell is the full time tech director, and she says CRLS renovation to their Fitzgerald Theatre “was more about theatre rigging and lighting fixtures.” A new motorized apron lighting position was put in place, as was a stage curtain package. “Major Theatre and Barbizon Light of New England teamed up to supply the lighting package, which includes a variety of Source Four fixtures, Altman 1K Fresnels, and ETC Selador LED Fixtures for the Cyc.” The theatre is in the processing of going from an ETC Express 48/96 to an ETC Element. The audio console is a Soundcraft GB4.
The high school itself is the only public high school in Cambridge. There are 1,600 ethnically and culturally diverse students that attend. About 20 percent of the school goes through some drama class or production, and their musicals can involve up to 60 kids. This fall they are doing an original musical called High Gear, which was written in one of Cramp’s classes. Past shows include productions like Once a Upon a Mattress, Guys & Dolls, Charlotte’s Web and even an East Indian Sanskrit play, Shakuntala.
Murray says it’s the sense of professionalism that makes the program strong. “We work really hard to keep a professional space for the kids, and teach them how to conduct themselves as an artist.”
Northwest
Seattle Academy of Arts and Sciences
Seattle, Wash.
When Paul Shaprio first came to this urban private school in 1985, they only had 50 kids. The arts building was an empty warehouse. “When we did a musical or play, everyone had to participate!” he laughs. Shapiro, arts chair, shares acting/directing duties with Michael Cimino and K.C. Helmeid. The set designer/tech director is Ed Hofmann and the costumer is Chris Tschirgi—both of which are full time.
The school today has 620 students and that warehouse gave way to a beautiful arts building with two theatres. “What sets Seattle Academy apart is that the arts, especially theatre, is one of the pillars of the school,” Cimino explains. “The arts are required.” Despite that emphasis, it’s not a conservatory, but a college prep (and a competitive one at that).
“Our theatre is almost in repertory all year because our philosophy is students learn by doing. We do teach classes to develop skills, but much of our work generates performances.” The academy puts on around 30 performances a year, 15-18 being in their state-of-the-art theatre, and most of the others in their black box. Currently they are working on Hairspray, which Shapiro says they picked to also use as an educational tool to discuss cultural diversity. Their winter show will be Metamorphosis, and in the spring they will do a new original production of Alice in Wonderland. The Laramie Project, Twelfth Night, Guys & Dolls and the Marx Brothers’ Animal Crackers are some of the other projects they’ve done of late.
“What defines us is that we are a ‘culture of performance,’” Shapiro says. “Performance is integral in terms of how we teach our classes.” And theatre studies are not just for the stage. Shapiro points out that really the (real) world is indeed a stage. Adults have to make presentations, take in technical and budget considerations, deal with deadlines, and work with others. “In the arts, we’re the ultimate project manager.”
Midwest
Shawnee Mission North High School
Overland Park, Kan.
“She really teaches students what they need to survive in life,” writes one Shawnee Mission North High School (SMN) student. “She has excelled at bringing both traditional and nontraditional theatre experiences to the students and audiences in the area,” writes a parent.
“She” is Maureen Davis, who first started at this Kansas City area suburban school in 1985. When she arrived, the school already had a deep theatre heritage being the second oldest thespian troupe in Kansas (they just celebrated their 70th year). Since 1991, they’ve had three full time theatre teachers: herself (per her request, not the head, but just the “older” one), Chris Palmer and 1998 SMN graduate Ben Bartlett.
It’s a big school with a big performing arts program. “We have around 350 students taking theatre classes, and we do 12 productions a year,” Davis says. There are six sections, so it’s a full year of drama classes with four semesters in the actors studio, five technical theatre classes and two repertory theatre classes. Juniors have the opportunity to participate in an outreach program, which involves them going out and teaching at other schools. They teach creative drama at one of the libraries of an area elementary school, and work to seed an interest in theatre at their “feeder” schools.
There are also opportunities for the students to write their own plays, and productions of original works is common, specifically during their two nights of original one acts they do every year. The appeal of short rehearsals times and inexpensive budgets has inspired them to do this. “We work on those for three or four weeks and try not to spend too much money on them,” she says.
There’s also an advanced repertory class that students have to audition for, and that is essentially a comedy/sketch improv troop.
Their main performance stage was built in 1937, but four years ago they upgraded with a counterweight fly system that has allowed them to, among other things, perform Peter Pan with flying performers twice.
Recent productions have included Rent, Sweeney Todd, Urinetown and Children of Eden. This year they are premiering a new musical, Moo Juice, written by a former graduate Krista Eyler.
Southeast
Arab High School
Arab, Ala.
“Brian Quillan takes the time to find the perfect play for these talented kids to perform,” wrote one parent. “He truly believes in them and loves what he does.” But the story becomes far more interesting when one realizes where Quillan is spreading the passion for theatre.
In 1999 he was hired straight out of college to teach at the relatively modest school. “We’re classified as a commuter community in a town that has a total population of 8,000,” he says, adding that Arab currently has around 800 students.
His first year he put on a musical, and thus his theatre program began with a cast of about 30 and a budget of $16,000. “It was a really large step,” says the choral teacher. “The theatre teacher at the time was doing good things with straight plays, but halfway through she left, and the program shifted over to me.” Today the theatre program has around 100 kids enrolled in theatre classes and productions can have as many as 150 participating. Their productions often includes younger students all the way down to the second grade.
They do one large spring musical a year, plus a fall and spring show. Recent productions include Little Shop of Horrors, Godspell, Children of Eden and Little Women—the musical, which was taken to the International Thespian Festival in Nebraska. Next up is Beauty and the Beast.
Arab is a stereotype-breaking inspiration. “It’s a credit to the community that our program is strong,” Quillan says. “We receive a tremendous amount of support.” This includes big audiences, financial support and even boasts parents of former students continuing to volunteer on productions. “Our budget for Beauty and the Beast is currently $60,000, and to do Little Women and take it to Nebraska cost $147,000.”
The school is technically savvy. For the Nebraska adventure, for example, not leaving anything to chance, he rented $15,000 in equipment, including two 12k Barco projectors and high-end media servers and brought them to the festival. That particular show, while set two centuries ago, featured emerging technologies to better facilitate the historical aspect, Quillan adds, including moving lights. “I love good lighting, and I like movers in there.”
Southwest
Westlake High School
Austin, Texas
Westlake is a high school that is highly treasured. In addition to strong theatre department (Michael Harlan is the drama teacher, and the technical director is David Tolin), it has a technical entertainment crew to back it up.
David Poole is the managing director of the Westlake Community Performing Arts Center. “We have really worked hard to build this program,” he says. Poole’s story is as unique as the school: “Fourteen years ago I saw this beautiful PAC on this high school campus—the first stand-alone PAC at a primary school that I’ve ever seen—and thought it really had potential. At the time, there was talent, but there was a lack of vision.” Now the technical team consists of 90 students that focus on technical skills, and their hard work has lead to a stellar reputation.
The high school is strong in drama, dance, choir and band programs, and the technical theatre organization he built supports it all and more. They mount a big musical every year with the choir, and their annual Nutcracker show is very popular. Westlake also has a 200-seat black box for straight plays.
Westlake PAC also operates as a rental house, and a requirement of all clients is they must use the high school students. The standards are kept so high that the staff receives a lot of compliments from the professionals touring through—including the biggest compliment of all, repeat business.
The Westlake PAC boasts gear as advanced as found on Broadway. “We keep the conventional and moving lights completely separated,” he says, explaining that most productions feature two boards side by side. They have about 300 conventional fixtures hung plus a Vari*Light 3000Q. “We just installed our latest renovations, Meyer line arrays, which I think make this facility the best-sounding one in Austin.”
Recent productions include Beauty and the Beast, Wizard of Oz, Anything Goes, and up next is Bye Bye Birdie.
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