VAPA - Theatre

This course is designed for students with little or no theatre experience, and promotes enjoyment and appreciation for all aspects of theatre. Classwork focuses on the exploration of theatre literature, performance, historical and cultural connections, and technical requirements. Improvisation, creative dramatics, and beginning scene work are used to introduce students to acting and character development. The incorporation of other art forms in theatre also helps students gain an appreciation for other art forms, such as music, dance, and visual art.

This class is by audition only.

This course is designed for students with a year of experience or more and promotes enjoyment and appreciation for all aspects of theatre through opportunities to build significantly on existing skills. Classwork focuses on characterization, playwriting, and playwrights’ contributions to the theatre; while improvisation, creative dramatics, and scene work are used to help students challenge and strengthen their acting skills and explore the technical aspect of scene work.

This class is by audition only.

This course is designed for students with significant experience in theatre and promotes depth of engagement and lifelong appreciation for theatre through a broad spectrum of teacher-assigned and self-directed study and performance. Students regularly reflect on aesthetics and issues related to and addressed through theatre, and create within various aspects of theatre in ways that are progressively more innovative. In keeping with the rigor expected in an accelerated setting, students assemble a portfolio that showcases a significant body of work representing the personal vision and artistic growth over time; mastery of theatre skills and techniques in one or more areas; and evidence of significant oral and written analytical and problem-solving skills based on their structural, historical, and cultural knowledge.

This class is by audition only.

 

This course is designed for students with extensive experience in theatre and promotes significant depth of engagement and lifelong appreciation for theatre through a broad spectrum of primarily self-directed study and performance. In keeping with the rigor expected in an accelerated setting, students assemble a portfolio that showcases a significant body of work representing the personal vision and artistic growth over time; mastery of theatre skills and techniques in one or more areas; and evidence of sophisticated oral and written analytical and problem- solving skills based on their structural, historical, and cultural knowledge.

This class is by audition only

Through improvisation, simple scripted scenes, performance projects, and/or practical application, students learn to identify what makes performances believable and explore the tools used to create, articulate, and execute them. Upon completion of this course, students have a strong foundation for future scene work, script analysis, and play production. Public performances may serve as a culmination of specific instructional goals. Students may be required to attend and/or participate in rehearsals and performances outside the school day to support, extend, and assess learning in the classroom.

Students examine the various dimensions of characters through analysis, discussion, and classroom performance, working with scripts from a variety of time periods and cultures. They learn to break down a scene from a character’s point of view, and also learn to sustain a character and build the relationship between actor and audience. Public performances may serve as a culmination of specific instructional goals. Students may be required to attend and/or participate in rehearsals and performances outside the school day to support, extend, and assess learning in the classroom. Should be taken after Acting I or with permission of the instructor.

Enables students to further develop intermediate-level acting skills and integrate them into individual and ensemble theatrical performances. This course is for students who plan to study theatre in college and/or for a profession. Depending on their desired field, students will complete the following: college audition schedule, audition monologues, acting resume, headshots, acting reel, student directing, playwriting, and design (costumes, set, lights, and sound). This course may require students to participate in extra rehearsals and performances beyond the school day. Should be taken after Acting 1 and 2, or with the permission of the instructor.

Students study theatre as a whole and focus on learning the basic tools and procedures for designing and creating costumes, hair, and makeup with particular attention to technical knowledge of safety procedures and demonstrated safe operation of theatre equipment, tools, and raw materials. Students also learn the standard conventions of design presentation and documentation; the organizational structure of theatre production and creative work in a collaborative environment; and the resulting artistic improvement. Public performances may serve as a culmination of specific instructional goals. Students may be required to attend or participate in technical work, rehearsals, and/or performances beyond the school day to support, extend and assess learning in the classroom.

This course requires heavy physical labor, work at heights exceeding twenty feet, and working with power tools. Students focus on developing the basic tools and procedures for creating elements of technical theatre, including costumes, lighting, makeup, properties (props), publicity, scenery, and sound. Technical knowledge of safety procedures and demonstrated safe operation of theatre equipment, tools, and raw materials are central to success in this course. Students explore and learn to analyze dramatic scripts, seeking production solutions through historical, cultural, and geographic research. Students also learn the basics of standard conventions of design presentation and documentation; the organizational structure of theatre production and creative work in a collaborative environment; and the resulting artistic improvement. Public performances may serve as a culmination of specific instructional goals. Students may be required to attend or participate in technical work, rehearsals, and/or performances beyond the school day to support, extend and assess learning in the classroom.

Students focus on the design and safe application of basic tools and procedures to create elements of technical theatre, including costumes, lighting, makeup, properties (props), publicity, scenery, and sound. Students develop assessment and problem-solving skills; the ability to connect selected literature to a variety of cultures, history, and other content areas. Public performances may serve as a culmination of specific instructional goals. Students may be required to attend or participate in technical work, rehearsals, and/or performances beyond the school day to support, extend and assess learning in the classroom.

Students regularly reflect on aesthetics and issues related to and addressed through theatre, and create within various aspects of theatre. Student designers and technicians assemble a portfolio that showcases a body of work representing artistic growth over time; growing command of theatre skills and techniques in one or more areas; and evidence of significant oral and written analytical and problem-solving skills. Public performances may serve as a culmination of specific instructional goals. Students may be required to attend or participate in technical work, rehearsals, and/or performances beyond the school day to support, extend and assess learning in the classroom.

Students regularly reflect on aesthetics and issues related to and addressed through theatre, and create within various aspects of theatre in ways that are progressively more innovative. Students analyze increasingly more sophisticated theatre literature to inform the work of developing technical design and production pieces for one-acts or a larger production. Public performances may serve as a culmination of specific instructional goals. Students may be required to participate in rehearsals and performances outside the school day to support, extend, and assess learning in the classroom.

Students' course work focuses on but is not limited to, acting, vocal performance, dance, non-dance movement, and staging, which transfer readily to performances in musicals and other venues. Students survey the evolution of music in theatre from ancient Greece to modern Broadway through a humanities approach and representative literature. Music theatre students explore the unique staging and technical demands of musicals in contrast to non-musical plays. Public performances may serve as a culmination of specific instructional goals. Students may be required to attend and/or participate in rehearsals and performances outside the school day to support, extend, and assess learning in the classroom.

Students learn from the styles and techniques used by well-known singer-actor-dancers and choreographers to build a performance portfolio for auditions and/or interviews. Students examine the contributions of major writers, composers, lyricists, and choreographers of musical theatre and learn to analyze the structures, stories, and settings of musical theatre exemplars to understand how those components serve the story and concept. Students extend their dance and movement techniques required to sing and dance at the same time. Public performances may serve as a culmination of specific instructional goals. Students may be required to attend and/or participate in rehearsals and performances outside the school day to support, extend, and assess learning in the classroom.

Students refine their audition techniques and performance/audition portfolio and consider the contributions of musical theatre in the community and beyond. Students select a number of pieces to showcase their abilities and become conversant about individuals who, currently and in the past, are considered major contributors to the field. Students refine their dance and movement techniques required to sing and dance for long periods of time in rehearsals and performances. Public performances may serve as a culmination of specific instructional goals. Students may be required to attend and/or participate in rehearsals and performances outside the school day to support, extend, and assess learning in the classroom.