Ceramics and Pottery 1
Theatre Arts 1 Technical
Ceramics and Pottery 2
Theatre Arts 2 Technical
Advanced Ceramics and Pottery 3
Theatre Arts 3 Technical
Advanced Ceramics and Pottery 4
Theatre Arts 4 Technical
Stagecraft 5*
Theatre Arts (Acting) 5
In progress
Stagecraft 6*
Theatre Arts (Acting) 6
*"Stagecraft" and "Theatre Arts Technical" are the same curriculum, they just changed the name of the course last year to match what CTE calls it. They are, in essence, the exact same thing.
The performance of the play I wrote and directed occurred on Saturday, February 15th of 2025. I had the performance filmed from the back of the house in Mountain View High School's Little Theater, while I also ran the lighting and sound for the show. This performance includes unique setting transitions (such as between scenes 5 and 6 when characters from Henry's future and past dump him out of the bathtub he dies in, symbolizing their influence on Henry's death and Henry's lack of control over where he goes and how he ends up there). Additionally, this performance included a wall of shadow puppets representing Henry's spiraling internal monologue.
Inserted below is the link to an uploaded YouTube video of the final product.
Answer the following questions:
Thinking about the process and product of your Capstone, reflect upon what you are most proud of and what you might do differently if you were to complete a similar project in the future.
I am most proud of my problem solving. Throughout the process, there were so challenges (people leaving the project, not being able to find a bathtub, sound trouble shooting, figuring out how to get the shadow screen to work, etc) and I feel I was able to satisfactorily overcome them all. In the future, if I were to complete a similar project, I would contact people who had a greater availability. It is impossible to direct actors who are not there, after all, and the greatest number of challenges came from the fact that no one was available.
Explain how your life experiences are reflected through your project.
When I was younger, all I really knew about myself was that I didn't know much at all and that the things other people assumed tended to be untrue. Or their assumptions would be profoundly true, but not wholly so. Henry grapples with the same struggles. Also, I have found myself fascinated by shadow puppetry from a very young age, and have many memories of engaging with the medium in my youth. This play is very much a love letter to my younger self.
Thinking about the Extra-curricular hours you completed, reflect upon what you learned through the experiences and/or how you have been impacted as an artist?
In my extra-curricular hours, I learned so much. With Inner Voice's "Hadestown", I learned the value of thinking outside of the box in construction, how to mix my singing voice, that I am capable of repairing costumes quickly under pressure, what it's like to be part of a promotional photo shoot, and so much more. With Mountain View High School's "The Lightning Thief", I learned how Dante functions in accordance with a digital sound board, how to patch on a light board in DMX, how to design and program lights for a musical, and once again so much more. Most of all, I have learned the value of human connection and that I am a resilient and dedicated artist; I endured so much pressure, and came out more confident because of it.
How is your life positively impacted by the arts?
Art has greatly improved my abilities to express myself. Expression through art is expression through a type of language, and learning how people express through art has translated for me into understanding how people express themselves through language. Additionally, art has given me a lot of practical skills that I had not anticipated it would give me, and engaging with art has helped me become a more fulfilled person; art has helped me become more aware of myself.
How do you plan to include artistic experiences in your future after high school?
I intend to make my entire future after high school into an artistic experience; in an ideal world, everything I do from here is in some way related to art. If I cannot get into an art related career, I will make that career art related in some way. Art has molded who I am as a person; I have no idea how to engage with the world in a way that is not artistic. I think I would have a harder time avoiding art in the future than I would accepting that art is in everything (an idea I have already synthesized into my life).
What advice would you give an incoming freshmen about studying the arts to help them make the most of their experiences while in high school?
I would advise they try theatre. Theatre has every form of art, performing or otherwise. Theatre allows you to try everything; music, performing arts, fiber arts, woodworking, fashion design, sculptural arts, and everything else you could think of. Theatre just gives you a taste of everything.