Drama
A Word From the Director
LIGHTS, SET, ACTION!
The goal of the Sierra High Theatre program is to create opportunities for students to perform with confidence, both on stage and in real life. Our Theatre classes and Drama club reflect the philosophy that students can often learn more effectively by doing than by simply studying and analyzing. Although the plays we perform make many demands on students that are comparable to English classes such as calling on students to analyze what they read, memorize lines, and interpret character motivations, they are also very similar to sports in their physicality and the daily training of the body, face, and voice to perform. Additionally, in this performance based class, we learn and achieve both the current state and federal standards for the Theater Arts.
But perhaps best of all, Theatre provides a guided avenue for student creativity unlike any other because students have the freedom to develop their own performances, integrating their own ideas under the coaching of the play's director (the course instructor). This means that no matter what script we work with, every play performance is unique as the individual players themselves. This is what makes Theatre so exciting not only for SHS students but for myself as well.
- Dianna Puett
Course Information
Introduction to Theatre provides the student with knowledge of acting skills, stage terminology, and theatre history. The student will memorize and perform monologues and scenes, read plays, act in plays, and write reflections on performances. The student will be asked to assemble costumes, move and decorate set pieces, and perform publically for classes. No evening or after school performances are required for this course. Students will have accomplished the introductory level of both the state and federal Theater Arts standards by the end of their time in this class.
Intermediate Theatre is a performance-oriented course that allows the second year student the opportunity to enhance his/her theatrical skills. The class involves scene and play analysis, audition preparation, ensemble collaboration, personal reflection, technique building, and performing full length plays. Public evening performances and/or after school performances in addition to performances during school hours are a requirement for this course. Students will have accomplished the Intermediate level of both the state and federal Theater Arts standards by the end of their time in this class.
Advanced Theatre students will learn various professional approaches to acting, gather and prepare audition materials, write scripts, critique student performances, direct scenes, and work in all areas of stage production. Theatre traditions will be explored through reading, performing, and reflecting. Public evening performances and/or after school performances in addition to performances during school hours are a requirement for this course. Students will have accomplished the Advanced level of both the state and federal Theater Arts standards by the end of their time in this class.
Contacts & Links
Dianna Puett
(209) 858-7410 x. 59017
dpuett@musd.net