Grade Level: 9-12 

Credit: 0.5 

Students begin to learn the fundamentals of acting through improvisation, motivated movement, character development, and scene work. Students will use the playwright’s text, along with the social and political context in which they were writing, to explore how to activate the dialogue to create truthful human moments that form the spine of the story. Students will explore script analysis and character development, theater history, and production, and will actively participate in front of the class in group and individual exercises, building confidence and concentration. The final project is the presentation of a monologue. 

Credit Status: Elective 

Grade Level: 9-12 

Credit: 0.5 

Building upon Acting I, Acting II students will develop and grow past theatre experiences and enhance skills. Students will learn ensemble techniques and teamwork, movement, voice, scene and play analysis, scene work including an emphasis on objectives, obstacles, and acting techniques, improvisational skills, and audition skills. Students will demonstrate proficiency in characterization, diction, memorization, and concentration. Students will begin to explore working with an acting partner to present a final scene. 

Credit Status: Elective 

Prerequisite: Acting I 

Grade Level: 9-12 

Credit: 0.5 

The focus of this course is on developing the student’s music, dance, and acting techniques with a special emphasis on the fundamentals of musical theater dance and a focus on uniting dance with music in performance. Students will participate in staging, choreographing, rehearsing, and performing musical works for the stage. Students will learn vocal method, choreography, diction, blocking and stage directions, and the art of auditioning. Musical theater dance combinations will be introduced and practiced. Course content will include the development of Musical Theater; its history, playwrights, styles, genres, eras, and notable composers. The course will culminate in an end-of-semester showcase. 

Credit Status: Elective 

Grade Level: 9-12 

Credit: 0.5 

Students will build on the skills learned in Musical Theater I and will begin to learn more complex dance and acting techniques. Students will direct and stage their own numbers, practice and perform solo, duet, and ensemble pieces, and will continue developing character through research, technique development, and improvisation. Students will continue to hone their vocal skills, dance technique, and audition skills, while working with the compositions of notable composers, such as Porter, Kern, Rodgers & Hammerstein, Bernstein, Lerner & Loewe, Sondheim, Webber, Kandor & Ebb, Rice, and Hart. The course will culminate in an end of-semester showcase. 

Credit Status: Elective 

Prerequisite: Musical Theatre I 

Grade Level: 9-12 

Credit: 0.5 

Students in this class will be introduced to and learn the fundamentals of lighting, sound, set construction and design, costuming and make-up, as well as all of the “front of house” duties (ticket sales, concessions, ushering, house managing, etc.) needed when producing a play or musical. Students will provide technical support to the Central Catholic Department of Theatre’s current production, which could include responsibilities outside of class time. This class is a mixture of theory and practicum and encourages active involvement in each production. It also provides activities designed to generate trust and flexibility, build confidence, and improve concentration. 

Credit Status: Elective 

Grade Level: 9-12 

Credit: 0.5 

Students will build upon their theatre experience and skills to tackle more complex theatrical texts, analyze a text actively in order to activate a character, and unleash their artistic voice. Students will strengthen their instrument for acting by practicing and performing assigned scenes, working through those scenes in class, and making real-time improvements. Students will explore self-direction, the creation of blocking, and will learn to maximize the potential of their acting instrument. Special emphasis will be placed on living truthfully under imaginary circumstances, acting moment to moment, and using actions to infuse a character and a scene with life. 

Credit Status: Elective 

Prerequisite: Acting II or or instructor approval 

Exception: This course may be repeated multiple times for credit 

Grade Level: 9-12 

Credit: 0.5 

Play Production is a semester-long course with all meetings outside of regular school hours. This course is audition-based, and provides 0.5 credits for participating (either on stage or backstage) in one of our two yearly theater productions; a fall play that takes place in mid-November, and a spring musical we open in early March. The course can be repeated, but may not be repeated for additional credit. Students will gain hands-on knowledge of the process of putting on a show, technical theater, design, and performance. Different time commitments are required for different roles within the production. Contact instructor with any and all scheduling questions. In addition to performance, students will be introduced to scenic, lighting, costume, and make-up design elements and stagecraft, plus will have the opportunity to work with professionals from the field. Join the Central Catholic Drama Family