Since 1984 - Theatre

Theatre

Take the stage. Tell the story. Become the storyteller.

At RSA, Theatre is where imagination becomes experience. Students learn to create characters, tell compelling stories, collaborate as an ensemble, and discover the confidence that comes from stepping onto a stage and bringing a world to life.

Throughout their time in the program, theatre students develop their craft through acting, rehearsal, character development, movement, voice, script analysis, and live performance. Just as importantly, they learn what every successful production demands behind the scenes: preparation, collaboration, discipline, adaptability, trust, and the willingness to take creative risks.

Each year, the department brings major productions to the RSA stage, including a fall play and a spring musical. These productions give students the opportunity to experience the full theatrical process—from auditions and early rehearsals through technical rehearsals and, finally, opening night. The spring musical also brings together multiple artistic disciplines, creating the kind of large-scale collaborative experience that is at the heart of RSA.

Senior One Acts

For our graduating theatre students, the journey culminates in one of RSA Theatre's most distinctive traditions: Senior One Acts.

In late spring, seniors step into an entirely new role—the director's chair. Students take responsibility for directing their own one-act plays, applying what they have learned throughout their years in the program while developing their individual artistic vision.

Suddenly, they are making the decisions. They must interpret a script, communicate a vision, work with actors, solve problems, shape performances, manage the rehearsal process, and ultimately take responsibility for bringing a production from the page to the stage.

It is a fitting culmination of the RSA Theatre experience. Students begin by learning how to tell someone else's story—and leave having learned how to lead others in telling one of their own.

The curtain may eventually come down on every production, but the confidence, creativity, courage, and community students build in RSA Theatre travel with them long after they leave the stage.

Technical Theatre

Behind every moment onstage is an entire world being created backstage.

Through RSA’s Stagecraft and Costuming classes, students discover the technical and design artistry that transforms an empty stage into another place, another time, and another world.

Students gain hands-on experience in the many elements that bring a production to life, including scenic design and construction, lighting, sound, props, costuming, theatrical makeup, and hair. They learn not only how these individual elements work, but how they come together to support the story being told onstage.

Technical theatre requires its own remarkable combination of creativity, craftsmanship, technology, problem-solving, precision, and teamwork. A lighting choice can completely change the mood of a scene. A costume can tell an audience who a character is before a single word is spoken. Sound creates atmosphere. Sets establish a world. Hair and makeup transform performers. Props make that world believable.

And when something doesn't go according to plan—as anyone who works in live theatre knows it eventually won't—our technical theatre students learn one of the most valuable skills of all: how to think on their feet and make the show go on.

Whether their place is onstage, backstage, in the booth, or behind the design table, RSA Theatre gives students the opportunity to discover where their talents belong.

Because theatre isn't created only in the spotlight.

It takes an entire company to make the magic happen.

Theatre Program Classes:

Theatre 1 (for RSA Students) & Intro to Theatre (for non-RSA students): Theatre 1 is designed to present types of drama, interpretation, and acting techniques, as well as studies in reading, acting, and the production of scenes and one-act plays. The basic aspects of lighting, costuming, and makeup will be stressed.
Acting Basics: A course geared to the intermediate actor, centering around theatre games, exercises, audition techniques, improvisation, monologue, scene, and one-act work.
Acting Styles: Continuation of Acting Basics together with advanced interpretation, criticism, and acting based on a historical framework. Students learn and apply actng techniques from all the major periods of theatre.
Showcase Directing: A continuation of Acting Styles together with advanced interpretation, criticism, and the technical aspects of complete play production. This class is responsible for chossing a play, editing, casting, rehearsing (both actors and directors), lighting, costuming, makeup, and scenery construction of this play, as well as touring it. The class is also responsible for publicity. Each student is responsible for directing a one-act play.
Stagecraft I & II: Imagine an entire play production. Now, take away the actors on stage - that's Stagecraft. This course involves the use of basic drama theory to create, perceive, and execute design elements for dramatic and theatrical performances and covers basic technical theatre elements. Stagecraft II focuses on the study and execution of the principles of set design and construction. Students receive a continued experience in design, construction, lighting, sound, and painting of scenery for school productions.
Set, Light, Sound Design: This class includes an in-depth study of set, light, and sound design and construction. This is the class where students get to showcase their stage craft and design knowledge and skills by being able to design the main stage shows at RSA.
Theatre Movement (Beginning & Advanced): Theatre Movement students learn that an actor's training must center around the fact that everything the actor does is seen and interpreted by the audience. Physical movement is central to the actor's expression: in silence or voice, in motion or in stillness. This course will teach stage movement for actors as a skill needed to help create and understand characters for stage. *This course will address all eight PE content standard areas and will meet all instructional minute requirements in alignment with CDE regulations.
Costume and Makeup Design: This cuorse includes an in-depth study of costume design and construction. Costuming is taught through an analysis of styles throughout theatre history. Students study makeup materials, light and shade, modeling with paint, optical illusions, character analysis for makeup, three-dimensional techniques, aesthetic valuing, non-realistic makeup, and specialized techniques.