The Department of Theater, Speech, and Dance strives to stimulate an enduring interest in the performing arts through knowledge and practical experience. In facing the challenges of oral communication, performance, and theatrical design, students become more perceptive, spur their creativity, and develop sensitivity to the interpersonal relationships inherent in the collaborative process. Each class stages dramatic readings and small productions for an audience and the Elements of Stagecraft course enables students to think critically and imaginatively about theater as a complex art form. There are also opportunities for independent study, such as advanced lighting design and studying the roles of leading ladies in American musicals.
Students are encouraged to participate in the Fall Play, the Winter Musical, the Spring Dance Concert, and "Love Literature Live." Students enrolled in department courses also have the opportunity to see productions at Trinity Rep in Providence.
Fall Play – The play is a large-scale production involving specifically designed lighting, sets, and costumes. Students audition for a role in the cast or interview for a position on the stage crew. Students who are selected must commit to drama as their afternoon activity and participate in several workshops designed to teach basic principles in acting, voice work, and movement.
Winter Musical – The winter musical is also a large-scale production and includes a student orchestra. Students audition for a role in the cast or band and interview for a position on the stage crew. Students selected for the musical must commit to drama as their afternoon activity and will receive appropriate training in dance, voice, and acting.
Stage Crew – Students who are accepted on the stage crew commit to drama as their afternoon activity and work with the tech faculty to design, build, and operate the technical components of theatrical production. Students learn the basics of carpentry, painting, sewing, and how to work with light and sound equipment.
Dance – The dance program concentrates on developing each student as a creator of dances and as a performer with an understanding of dance as an art form. Curriculum includes modern dance, jazz, ballet, and improvisation technique. All of the students in the program perform in a large-scale dance concert featuring the choreography of the students, the dance instructor, and several guest artists.
Facilities – In the fall of 1999 St. George’s inaugurated a new home for the arts. Named for two of St. George’s prominent and beloved art teachers, the William H. Drury and Richard Grosvenor Center for the Arts houses the school’s creative, visual, and performing arts programs. This facility includes Madeira Hall, a 400-seat auditorium equipped with 17 linesets, a stage extension over the orchestra pit, 96 dimmers controlled by a Strand computerized light board, a “black box” drama classroom on the lower level, a dance studio, a scene shop, a costume shop, and dressing rooms. |