Concordia Theatre
The Concordia Theatre program offers middle and high school students opportunities both on and off stage. The curriculum includes courses and/or modules in acting, voice, movement, improvisation, stage combat, directing, stagecraft, lighting, sound and costume design, stage-management, performing arts management, criticism, dramaturgy, dramatic theory, playwriting, classical and contemporary American theater, world theater history, and various types of Asian theater.
Each year the Theater program produces two high school productions, and one middle school production. Also, the elementary school produces a musical every spring.
Students in drama classes have the opportunity to perform short class plays for their peers and the community. Concordia High school students have the opportunity to participate in the APAC Theatre festival, participating in workshops with their peers from other schools led by specialist in various areas of world theatre.
Concordia Theater addresses skills that benefit children's education and development in five general areas:
- physical development/kinesthetic skills
- artistic development /drama and theater skills
- mental development/thinking skills
- personal development/intra-personal skills
- social development/interpersonal skills.
One of the many reasons parents should urge their children to participate in theatre is that students involved in the arts have higher standardized test scores. A recent UCLA study concluded that students involved in the arts have higher academic performance and better standardized test scores -- nearly 100 points higher on the SAT.
Academic gains aren’t the only benefits. At Concordia, the drama faculty teaches...
- “improved self-confidence and better public speaking skills”
- the “ability to work with an ensemble in cooperative ventures"
- and the "ability to work through consensus and differences or obstacles to achieve a goal.”
Plays require students to follow a time line, to use self-discipline, and to accept feedback. Studying theater is also a great starting point for careers such as teaching, law, and politics, not to mention broadcasting and performing. And the ability to speak confidently in front of a group is a boon for any career.
Is theatre for everybody? Yes! Aside from participating in a drama class, students can be a part of the ensemble/chorus in a play production, a great way of lessoning the pressure by performing as a member of a larger group, or they can audition for supporting or lead roles. Students can also work behind the scenes in leadership positions and/or help design and build the various elements of a production (i.e.- costumes, props or scenery).
To find out more on how your child can get involved, contact Mr. Doering. With a little research, you can find a place for your child to stretch his wings and make all the world her stage.