Boonton High School Drama Club Presents Mamma Mia!

Artists Kiki Kraa & Jody Oliveri

Show in Montclair

On Friday, December 19th, 2019, The Boonton High School Fine Arts Department Teachers, Kirsten Kraa and Jody Oliveri showed their work together at Studio Montclair Art Gallery. The show was entitled Greetings From Montclair and it included individual works the size of postcards to sell for charity. All proceeds went to furthering the arts in the community at Studio Montclair Professional and Visual Arts organization.

Congratulations!

• Former graduate Perri Phelps has been selected by Syracuse University to attend the Sundance Film Festival. Only 10 students are representing the school, and Perri is the only one selected from the Animation Department.
• Peter Johannes (grade 12) and Katie Kulick (grade 9) have had artwork selected for the highly competitive Late Winter Exhibit at NJPAC.

Student Art Gallery

Department News

Romeo & Juliet at the Shakespeare Theater of NJ

Boonton freshmen Ava Derr and Jaden Visioli considered Romeo and Juliet complex on many levels until they saw the tragic play performed at the Shakespeare Theater of New Jersey on Wednesday, Oct. 30.

“We were up close and in the center. Pretty much right there,” said Derr, referring to the intimate setting. “It made me understand the play better.”

“It was up close and personal,” said Visioli. “I know more about the characters now.”

Derr and Visioli were two of 34 BHS students to make the trip to the 308-seat theater located on the campus of Drew University in Madison. The theater’s website boasts that no seat is more than 32 feet from the stage so it’s easy to see why Derr and Visioli were engaged.

The venue was 25 percent occupied for the morning student performance, making for an intimate, once-in-a-lifetime experience for Mrs. McBride’s, Mrs. Zwain’s and Mrs. Tambakis’ students.

Also making the play special was a post-play talkback with nine cast members, which provided an opportunity for those in attendance to inquire about all aspects of Romeo and Juliet. Not surprisingly, there were questions about the fight scenes, specifically the ones that involved swords and knives.

Joshua David Robinson (Mercutio) explained that the fights “are very involved.” The performers start by working on choreography then there is what Robinson referred to as a “fight call.”

“We show up early and do it every day,” said Robinson, who is appearing in his first production at the theater. “There’s a lot of adrenalin required for those scenes.”

Boonton freshman Keith Hughes enjoyed the hand-to-hand battles and duels and said that “the fight scenes were definitely good.”

When someone inquired if the actors and actresses had been in other Shakespeare plays, they all nodded. Erin Partin (Lady Capulet) has been a fixture at this particular theater for 15 years. She has been in the Bard’s plays nationwide, too.

“If you’re capable of Shakespeare, you’re capable of doing many playwrights,” Partin said. “I’ve been bitten by the Shakespeare bug and I love to do it.”

According to Robinson, a new production begins with the cast rehearsing every day for three weeks before starting technical rehearsals with light and sound.