Theater

In the Lower School, plays and musicals are highlights of the year. Students learn the value of collaboration, preparation, and public speaking as each grade performs for family and friends. Every Lower School production digs deep into a particular area of study—from poetry and climate to U.S. history.

As part of our required curriculum, all sixth and seventh graders take a drama course that introduces them to the world of performance and theatre. Students study the basic physical components of theatrical and para-theatrical places, speaking in public, and character development through pantomime, music and improvisation. Lessons are brought to life through a combination of individual and group performances and are applied to realistic situations.

Extracurricular drama opportunities are available as well. The department stages two main stage productions and an Improv Throwdown annually. The musical, a highlight of the spring semester, gives students a true taste of life in theatre. Students run lights and sound equipment, serve on the crew backstage, try their hands as makeup artists, and discover the joys and challenges of live performance. Recent productions include Anything Goes and The SeussOdyssey.

Upper School students interested in learning more about theatre may add acting and directing courses to their academic schedules. Extracurricular opportunities abound as well. In the fall, students participate in the Georgia High School Association’s One-Act Play competition and stage a full-scale musical, an all-hands-on-deck production that has students on stage, performing in the orchestra pit, and running lights and sound.

During our annual Winter Showcase, audiences participate in a “theatre hike” around campus to take in a series of scenes from well known plays, as well as student-written and directed works. The Upper School’s spring production ranges from Shakespeare to Stoppard.