The Theater program at CHS is made up of unique individuals working together to create theatrical productions that are polished, entertaining, and fun for our audiences as well as educational and formative for our performers and technicians.

• We welcome and include students of all levels—grade and experience. Everyone can and will find a place within this organization as long as they possess an interest in theater and the willingness to learn, to take risks, to stretch their comfort zones, and to work hard.

• We value a process-based approach that emphasizes learning and provides performers, technicians, and musicians with a safe, open space to explore, understand, and sharpen their skills as theater artists.

• We define success by our personal and community growth and development, as well as by the community response to and attendance at our productions.

• We recognize that we need one another to develop physically, psychologically, and socially as well as for having fun and achieving our goals. This requires work, dedication, cooperation, positive attitudes, teamwork, and good sportspersonship.

Theater Opportunities at Chaska High School

• Main Stage Productions--CHS produces three main stage productions a year: a fall musical, a competition one act in the winter, and a spring play. Students are involved in all aspects of main stage productions at Chaska, including performing, designing, stage managing, building, promoting, and publicizing. No matter what your area of interest, you will find a place and a role within the CHS Theater community.

• May Cabaret Production: Once a year, we present a May cabaret Production, which is a night devoted to highlighting and recognizing the incredible talent and work of our students. Students plan, produce, and run the entire evening--they serve as playwrights, directors, stage managers, designers, performers, technicians, and producers. It is a wonderful opportunity for students to demonstrate their learning and be recognized for their tremendous talents and growth.

• Thespian Troupe: Chaska High School is a proud member of the International Thespian Society, an honor organization dedicated to recognizing and celebrating excellence in high school theater. Our Thespian Troupe is a group of students who have earned induction into the Troupe and Society by demonstrating their love of theater by accruing at least 100 hours of quality work in theater. Inducted Thespians continue to progress in rank through the Society by participating in all areas of theater. They also earn the right to compete for Thespian scholarships at the state and national level, audition for the premiere performance schools in the region and nation, and present their performance and design work at the state and national level for recognition and feedback.

• Elective Classes: Chaska High School offers 3 elective courses in Theater through the English department. In Introduction to Theater, students study and apply the basic tenets of performance, using mime, improvisation, clowning, commedia dell'arte, and playbuilding to frame and structure their work. In Theater Arts (the intermediate course), students expand and define their learning even more with units specifically focused on Design and Technical Theater, Realism as a Theater Genre and Approach, Social Justice/Protest Theater, and Shakespeare. The final course in the elective sequence is Advanced Theater Arts. In this course, students identify an area of interest within the Theater discipline and design a project based around that interest. The course follows the Project-Based Learning Model and functions similarly to a senior project that a student might undertake during his or her post-secondary education. The experience is rigorous, relevant, and ultimately very rewarding for students.

Professional Organizations & Affiliations:

Minnesota State High School League, Spotlight Musical Theater Program, & the Minnesota Chapter of the International Thespian Society

The CHS Theater program is affiliated with three different professional theater organizations. Our fall musical is a part of the Hennepin Theater Trust’s Spotlight Musical Theater Program. Our One-Act Play competes as part of the Minnesota State High School League’s One-Act Competition, and the MSHSL provides guidelines for all participants in high school theater programs. Lastly, we are involved year-round with the Minnesota Chapter of the International Thespian Society, an honor society for theater students.