In the course of this year, we will cover (sometimes in depth, sometimes not): playwriting, comedy, improvisation, history of theater and film, acting, singing, sound, sets, makeup, costumes, and brief units on opera, dance (we had some cool Flamenco-based improvs), and maybe even philosophy as it can apply to theater.

My hope is that we can put on a performance this year... My colleague was maginificent last year in staging Romeo and Juliet.  I'm hoping we can put on a show this year, perhaps one made of scenes from major plays and musicals and acts featuring singing, dancing and comedy,.

After-school  activities I run and enjoy are the Drama Club and the Literary Journal.

Coda on teaching theater: It began, for me, about three years ago as a germ of an idea. My former principal, Nancy Hatchett asked all teachers if they would like to branch out and teach something new. I ventured that I had an interest in theater. A few months later, I found myself teaching 3 90-minute sections of theater as well as English. With theater, I had no books, no worksheets and aspirations, commitment, but plenty of untested ideas.

Now I have a magnificent textbooks, Drama Projects, tons of worksheets, improv ideas galore, a full costume and prop cabinet, sample video clips, and a way of conducting a 45 minute lesson that at least has some flow and results in creative work being accomplished. It, and I, are definitely still a work in progress, but one I am fortunate to experience at this stage in my life.