We are known for our Visual and Performing Arts Academy (VPAA), which highlights talented student visual artists, vocalists, instrumentalists, actors, and dancers. However, hidden underneath the ambitious academy lies the Fine Arts Theatre Department, a section of theatre classes that aren’t part of the VPAA. One of those classes, Performance Theatre, offers stage experience to those who are interested in continuing theatre after taking Introduction to Theatre Arts.
Some students who have an interest in theatre but don’t want to pursue acting as a career may feel intimidated by the VPAA. Performance Theatre offers less of a commitment while still supporting those students’ interest in the art.
“Performance Theatre is very welcoming regarding beginners and underclassmen,” said senior Kyler Mackie.
Sophomore Isabella Dresen, one of four sophomores in this class, agrees with Mackie.
“[I joined Performance Theatre] because I’m not ready for the commitment of the academy,” said Dresen.
Every class has its highs and lows. In a Fine Arts Theatre class, however, the best and worst parts are different from other elective classes.
“The best part of the class is bonding with my classmates while doing the activity we all love: acting,” said senior Dallas Williams.
As Williams noted, bonding with classmates is an important aspect of theatre. Being comfortable on- and off-stage with fellow performers is necessary to create a seamless and entertaining show. Performance Theatre offers a lot of fun activities to help break the ice.
“We have tons of fun together and do other things like read through plays such as Romeo and Juliet,” said Dresen. “We also do stage combat and direct our own plays.”
Theatre and Cinema Studies Teacher Mr. John Moss joined Salem in 2022 and has since been teaching Introduction to Theatre Arts. Performance Theatre students have been given many opportunities for public performances over the years.
“[Performance Theatre] is a fun class that gets better every year,” said senior Sophia Sparkman. “I know from experience that this year, we’re doing more plays, and even if we only did a few [so far], they turned out really well.”
After only a semester, the Performance Theatre class has already performed two plays: Dracula and Everything I Need to Know I Learned at Salem. They are constantly studying plays in class and working on their own productions. Their next play, The Cyclops, is currently in the works, set to perform in February. Tune into the morning announcements for any updates on future productions.
