Theater

Theater at Waring involves all students, not merely a group of talented actors. This means that every student gains theater experience: those with a deeper passion may even direct plays and assist in theater classes for younger students. Though our program trains students to become actors, of course, it also helps them to become public speakers, musical performers, and readers of their own writing. Through exercises, improvisation, scene study and play performance, students increase their range of physical, emotional, and vocal expression. In the process, they typically become confident actors—and more confident human beings.

Our plays generally employ minimal sets and tech crews, although we do use light and soundboards. Instead, the emphasis is on the actors themselves, on honing their skills and nurturing their development as performers. The dramas span a variety of genres, including experimental, classical, traditional, musical, and from time to time, French. Recent performances include: Into The Woods, Cinderella, The Mask of Beauty and the Beast, Antigone, The Kitchen, and The Glass Menagerie. The Theater Department works closely with the Humanities Department and often selects plays that dovetail with humanities class work. Recent examples include performances of The Grapes of Wrath and A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

Grades 6, 7, & 8

CORE (grades 6 & 7) classes introduce students to the fundamentals of theater, beginning with improvisational games and exercises designed to increase confidence. Drawing partly on their work in humanities and French classes, students perform and help write short pieces for CORE Night, an evening of presentations in November. During the winter sports term, CORE students perform a play, or in some years a musical: this is optional and may be student directed. Our skill-building work resumes in the spring, with students working on longer scenes and beginning to interpret and perform scripted pieces.

Group 1 (8th grade) Theater builds on the foundations established in CORE Theater, beginning with a review of technique and moving on to monologue and improvisation. Students write "self-scripted" pieces and may perform them publicly at All-School Meetings. During the year students typically perform in a play directly related to a current humanities topic. Often, the Group 1 art classes assist in set creation.

Theater Team

Theater Team, a production course offered as an alternative to sports, employs skills acquired during CORE Theater and Group 1 Theater. While some exercises and scene work occur early in the trimester, most time is spent in rehearsal. Drawing from both a classical and contemporary repertoire, the Theater Team rehearses and produces a full-length play. Though Theater Team strives to produce a wide variety of plays, it always seeks to explore themes that inform the Waring community as a whole. Students are encouraged to help with all aspects of the production, including costuming, lighting, set design, and advertising.