This class introduces the fundamentals of acting. Students are trained in theater traditions and taught the work habits and skills of a professional theater artist. Both individual and ensemble work are emphasized. Participants develop spontaneity, creative problem-solving, and the expressive use of the body and voice through exercises, improvisation, games, and in-class scene work. Together, students analyze scripts, learn to evaluate visual texts, and take creative risks.
This acting-intensive course deepens performance skills through the study of a wide range of plays. Students refine their individual artistic processes while exploring how naturalistic acting techniques can bring heightened language to life. The course emphasizes in-depth character development, period- and culture-specific dramaturgical research, and the acting approaches of Sanford Meisner and Uta Hagen. Students also have opportunities to direct.
College Prep’s drama productions span a variety of theatrical styles and time periods, including an annual musical. Each production is a unique adventure for the cast and tech crew. Recent productions include: Shrek: The Musical, The Laramie Project, Hadestown, Our Town, A Chorus Line, Argonatutika, and The Pirates of Penzance. No prior acting experience is required; enrollment and casting are by audition, usually held in the first week of each semester.
Students design and create all of the technical aspects of each semester’s College Prep drama production. This after-school class begins by reading the play, discussing it with the director, and determining its look and feel. Drama Tech students then create the sets, props, costumes, light, and sound for the production. During performances, class members crew the show backstage and in the tech booth. No prior tech experience is required.
This course provides hands-on experience with a wide variety of tools and techniques commonly used in the creation of theatrical productions. Students develop confidence working with physical materials, nurture their artistic sensibilities, and have fun with the creative process. Projects include carpentry, stage lighting, metalwork, sound design, mask-making, scenic paint techniques, theatrical makeup, and stage design.
1/19
I feel comfortable sharing my love of theater with the rest of the school, while having so much fun and being part of a really lovely drama family.”