Curriculum and Program Overview

The theatre program at William Monroe High School is set in place to develop strong character and passion for all aspects of the theatre craft. With a focus on acting, directing, theatre appreciation, and set work, there are many opportunities for students to acquire skills that will benefit them throughout life. Students can learn to communicate and perform in front of large groups, to work as a team, and complete large-scale projects. The curriculum for the theatre class is set in place to propel students into higher levels of acting achievement, regardless of prior experience. The Virginia Department of Education's Standards of Learning (SOLs) may be found here.

Each level will take on a variety of approaches, commitment to ensemble work, and individual character specificity. The program places a high value on hands-on learning; field trips and class productions (collaborative efforts between Theatre I, Theatre II, and Advanced Theatre Study students) are a mainstay in the curriculum. In the past, most field trips have been taken to The Paramount in Charlottesville and Blackfriar's Playhouse and the American Shakespeare Center in Staunton, Virginia. This mission statement was written by Virginia Scott, who was director of the program for four years. The new director of the program is Hanna Rahilly.

The theatre program is funded solely from donations, ticket sales, and fundraisers. For more information, please contact Hanna Rahilly at jrahilly@greenecountyschools.com.

Virginia High School League One-Act Comptition

The Theatre program also participates in the Virginia High School League One-Act Theatre Competition. Dragon Theatre took home the Skyline District championship in the 1987-88 school year, placed second in the state at the 1995-96 competition, and were champions at the district and regional level of competition in the 2000-01 school year. Most recently, in the fall of 2015, Dragon Theatre placed second in the Conference competition and fourth in the Regional competition. During the 2016 competition, Dragon Theatre came in fourth place by only .6 of a point!

Summer Residential Governor’s School

Annually, Dragon Theatre nominates at least one student to attend the Governor’s School for Humanities and Visual and Performing Arts summer residential program at Radford University. In 2016, Kalia Page was nominated, auditioned for, and accepted into the selective program. She represented WMHS at Radford University and worked alongside other Virginia high schoolers who were nominated and accepted into the summer residential program to focus their energies and skills in theatre craft. The program ended their time together with a performance of the morality play, Everyman. This year, rising Junior Abby Cable has been selected to attend Radford University and study along with other Virginia high schoolers!

This program is taught by university professors and professionals in the performing arts (often union members or guild members). This opportunity provides them with a unique experience that only a few teenagers of Virginia able to obtain.