Playing their part: Studio Honors makes a scene in Metamorphoses

     Actors move across the stage with the precision of a surgeon. The audience can’t help but gasp as a thrilling story is told right before their eyes. These actors have worked for years to get to this level, and their dedication can be seen in the work they produce.

     The DSA theatre department is divided into acting and technical theatre. The acting division of the pathway teaches students many different methods and techniques for acting. Theatre Studio Honors is the highest level acting class a DSA student can be in, and for the last major show of DSA theatre’s 2022-2023 season Metamorphoses, all of the actors are a part of that class. Because of the unique nature of this production, the atmosphere surrounding the cast is different from that of a typical show. However, the result is still the same high-quality performance that makes DSA theatre shine.

     "Studio honors, we are the most advanced theatre class and what makes us unique is our comfortability with the space,” Zari Alexandria McIntosh, a senior and Studio Honors student at DSA, opened.

    Studio Honors is the highest-level acting course that DSA provides. The students involved with Studio Honors have participated in acting throughout their high school careers. They have created many fantastic performances, and it’s all possible due to the skills that the actors learn, including the Meisner technique.    

     “Professional actors have all studied Miesner and they've all kind of been in that element, and I've noticed since teaching it the students just get so much better at being on stage,” Kristen Winchester, director of Metamorphoses and theatre teacher at DSA remarked.

     The Meisner technique, or “The Method” is at the core of DSA’s performance of Metamorphoses. The process allows actors to develop their skills collaboratively, and it gives an opportunity to develop an immersive experience for both the actors and the audience. This kind of acting builds a strong bond between actors and the relationships formed in the Studio Honors class are an inviting reminder of this.

     “They’re also a very tight-knit group, more so than any other cast we have before because they've been working together for the entire year so they really know how to trust each other,” Winchester added.

     Aside from the dazzling performances and the stunning theatrical applications, what makes DSA theatre unique is the community surrounding it. It takes time and dedication from everyone involved to pull off what DSA theatre does. From the student actors and technicians to the committed parent and teacher volunteers, DSA theatre brings a wide range of people together to create and perform a stunning show.

     “We’ve been through so much but all in all, we come together to tell a story, and that's what I love so much about theatre,” McIntosh concluded.

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