[BHS etree] DRAMA: News from the department

[bhs at idiom.com]

contact:  Hypedrama at aol.com [mailto:Hypedrama at aol.com]

Newsletter #1 Sep/04 / Berkeley High School Drama Department

Greetings. 
I am Jordan Winer, Drama Teacher and head of The Drama Department at Berkeley High School. This will be my fifth year as Drama Head.   I feel very lucky to be leading such an amazing bunch of students, and to see them become leaders themselves, it’s a real honor.   This is the first of what I hope will be a bi-yearly (Fall and Spring) newsletter about Drama at BHS.  The purpose is to let everyone know what’s going on down here, so that BHS theatre continues to become  a real part not just of student life but of our community life.  We want to let you know what’s happening so that if you want to come see the shows, or volunteer in some way, you’ll have the opportunity and perhaps the inspiration to do so.. so get in touch and stay in touch. 

“Love the Art Within yourself, not yourself within the Art”-Constantine Stanislavski
  
The 2003-2004 school year was a year of firsts for Theatre at Berkeley High School. Some of the highlights were;

1-The long awaited return of an advanced class, Advanced Theatre Projects (H). This year long honors  class, ATPs,  was dissolved about 10 years ago, though I was never able to really find out why... .I am very proud to have brought this course back to BHS... our students can finally stop taking Drama 1  over and over again!!

2 -The first student-produced Fall Play, “You Can’t Take it With You” done by the ATP class . They did it all, directed by Rachel Rudy and Simon Trumble..
Alumnus Katey Lawton was hired to be tech-director. (See Alumni Section later)

3- The ATP class saw three evening shows at Aurora Theatre, The Lobby Hero, Antigone Falun Gong, and David Mamet’s The Old Neighborhood. After the talkback at The Old Neighborhood, Sean Barry and Chandra Krinsky performed the short David Mamet play “Yes” and the Aurora audience and cast  was thrilled at this surprise treat!! 

4 -Several Guest Artists came in last year to teach. John Warren, the mercurial local director taught directing and status work to the ATP class. John Will be back in January again for a 2-3 three week residency teaching directing to the ATP class, a longer stint this time.
   Delia MacDougall, local actress from CalShakes, and a Word for Word  founding member, came for a week-long Mamet- acting intensive in ATPs. We then went to see Delia perform at the Aurora Theatre production of The Old Neighborhood... (see above) Christopher Morrison  from Impact theatre also visited both Drama Class (for Stage Combat) and ATPs for Character Movement.  (See plans for this year...) Delia drove the kids nuts with her detailed method of scriptg analysis,  but they learned that punctuation is crucial in analyzing scripts ... (dot dot dot)-...”  “
  
5 -Voices in the Hive!  Our first ever documentary -theatre style show happened in the Blackbox Theatre.- In the style of The Laramie Project,  or Anna Deveare Smith’s work, seven students , led by seniors Dav Wright and John Newton, interviewed  students and teachers and administrators, then transcribed their interviews...With me as text-wrangler and director, we created a show in which they played these real people and we created a quilt of voices, voices from the crazy “hive” of our school.  Voices in the Hive....
    This was a terrific experience as it really helped bridge a gap between many types of people who share this place, and it was just plain fun to see the kids impersonating their teachers!! It was an amazing way for the students (and the audience!) to really gain empathy and understanding...
    We just may do another show in this style this year... John Warren, who is really one of the leading creators of shows in this style, may come and do something of this nature in the spring...he’s made incredible shows of this kind both at Tamalpais High School (a show about John Walker Lindh the “American Taliban”) , and for his own company, Unconditional Theatre (such as “Groping for Justice, The Bob Packwood Story”)

6-We purchased a light board and dimmer pack to turn the Drama classroom into a truly functional Blackbox theatre. Jud Owens and Aron Jacobson are working to make that 
happen at this time, the Blackbox will be functional on September 1st!!  thanks guys!

7- For the second year in a row, we attended the Lenea  Festival, a statewide Drama festival ion Sacramento, with a student led contingent.  Again we presented a one-act play “Hotline” directed by Senior Simon Trumble, as well as scenes and monologues. We won three awards, for technical achievement, excellence in one-act play category, and one other thing I can’t remember at the moment, but come check out the awards, they’re in my classroom until the new trophy case gets built!
- 
8- Our First Ever World Premiere of a Brand new Musical!! “Man in the Musical”.  CD Roms and videos of this smash hit show are available from Berkeley Community Media. Thanks to BCM and Brian Scott for capturing this amazing event. The Berkeley daily planet called this show “first rate.. in nearly every way” It was a pleasure for me to direct this show and help Phil Gorman and Lila Tschappat bring their vision to life. Expect more amazing things from these two... 

9- Our first Spring One Act Festival produced and Directed  by the Advanced Class.  They presented  short works by David Ives, A.R. Gurney, Christopher Durang, and David Mamet...

10 -Broadway musical field trip..not quite to Broadway, but Scott McDonald, who taught one Drama class last year, did organize a really fun trip to see Hairspray at the Golden gate theater last June. I was there and it was a real great show and a fun afternoon. Thank you Scott!  Lion King was done as well!  

11-Our first ever Performing Arts Department Senior Awards Ceremony. With award certificates and a giant cake and many pizzas, we had a tearful yet joyful ceremony in which we recognized  about 40 students who had given so much of their hearts and souls to the performing arts over the last four years... This is something we are already planning to do every year. Some of the Theatre recipients were:
Tabatha Hovestadt, Davern Wright, Chandra Krinsky, Kelsey Gustafson, Annie Goodman, Remy Jewell, Charles Clear, Molly Stewart-Cohn, Sonja Dale, Baily Hopkins.

This year, 2004 - 2005
Where are we going?  
    This  year, our introductory level year, Drama/Acting Workshop, will be structured very differently than before.  it’s just gonna be better focused to an actual goal. 
    The Fall,  Dramatic Arts class, will lay a general foundation of knowledge . The Goals: To introduce students to the craft, traditions, and purposes of the Theatre.  To guide them into finding their own individual place among the audiences -and the theatremakers- of tomorrow.... 
    In the spring, we switch into Acting Workshop, the goal of which is; To guide students into the craft of Acting, training them to be dependable, creative, ensemble members in Theatrical productions.  Spring is really about giving them the first “set of tools for their actor tool bags” as Delia MacDougall says... 
If you want more specifics on that, what we’re gonna do, see, read, study, just contact me.
    I apllied and got  a grant to take ALL MY THEATRTE CLASSES to see 2 shows at Berkeley Rep. We will see Mary Zimmerman’s (Creator of the groundbreaking Metamorphoses) Secret in the Wings, as well as the Play Eurydice...The students will also work together, across the class lines, on a mentorship program I have devised to bridge the gap between Advanced and Beginning students.  
    The Eurydice play will lead nicely into the FALL PLAY.. This will be an original piece that I and Christopher Morrison will create with the ATP class. It will be based on the greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice . I will direct and shepherd the work, Chris Morrison will work with the class for three weeks in October developing scenes and physical work. This play will be produced by the students, with our guidance, and will open December 3rd.. 
    Who knows, perhaps we will even take this play up to Sacramento for the Lenea Fest? ATPs will also put on a show in the spring....TBA
  Beginning students will be performing their work at various times as well, and everyone and anyone can audition for The Spring Musical. This will be A Chorus Line, directed by  senior Simon Trumble with Adult advising and supervision by Jaime Knight, a terrific BHS art teacher just hired. 
   I will not be directly involved in the Spring musical, a tough but necessary decision as I have started my own theatre company, APE, Acme Players Ensemble, and I will be busy with them. Simon has had a good amount of directing experience under my watch, we have worked closely, and I have every confidence he will put on a first rate, fantastic show...

EVENTS:

DRAMA OPEN HOUSE! Come and talk about the year ahead, ask questions, brainstorm ideas, voice concerns, celebrate the year ahead of Theatre at Berkeley High!! ALL are invited, parents, friends, students...come on by, September 9th, Thursday. The Drama Room, A-203, BHS, 4pm-6pm...

BBQ! The Performing Arts Department will be hosting a BBQ on the campus green  the very next day,  Friday Sep 10th, 4-6pm..

AN ARTS SMALL SCHOOL, in Berkeley? Moooooooooo. Yes folks, it’s comin, next year, the above 2 events would be a good place to find out about it...
     


Alumni news:
Susanna Shulman just finished a terriffic portrayl of Cecily in CalShakes Importance of Being Earnest.  Katey Lawton, ‘01, after designing our incredible set for the fall Show, got into the Art Institute in Chicago and is studying Art their now. Andrew Gruen, ‘02, is busy producing theatre in New York City. Claire Bullen ‘02,  and Joe Ruzer ’01,  are also rumored to have moved to the big apple to keep pursuing their dreams...David Chernicoff ‘02,  will be starting’ his second year at Yale where he’s continued his Improv work.. Aron Jacobson ‘00,  parted ways with SUNY Purchase and is going to be doing some work here at BHS, as well as for APE, setting up our blackbox theatre, welcome back Aron! Aron was tech director when I took over the program 5 years ago and really helped me learn the ropes here... Trow Shaw ‘02, who used to be called Emily Trow Shaw, got into Carnegie mellon and will be headin’ there soon to study acting...she was a huge hit in the extended show “Triptych” at the Magic Theatre last year...
   Hey alumni, contact me, let me know what you’re doin, and most importantly, come back and give to the place that gave you so much. As you gain experience and learn life and Art lessons, come back and pass them on... THANK YOU to folks that have come back to work here like Katey and Aron....It’s been very positive for them, and it can be for you too!!!


How can you get involved? Glad you asked....
   
There are lots  of opportunities for fans, friends, parents, and students to get involved in the theatre we do here at Berkeley High... We’d love to get some of you folks who pack our house for the musicals to come down and volunteer, give some time and expertise to our program...whatever your skill, I can get you workin’ on something important down here... A few possibilities, things we need help with are:

-creating a web site for BHS theatre with schedules, ticket info, artist bios, photos and video clips of shows, links to things like how to buy videos or CD Roms etc...
-help painting and building scenery.
-electrician help in setting up equipment
-carpentry
-help with arranging guest artists to come in, or coming in yourself if you have something that would make the kid’s Theatre education richer
-good ole donating of money, which can be done through the Berkeley High School Development Group...
-Selling tickets and or cookies at any of our shows...
-Donations of things like costume pieces, copy and or fax machines, interesting props, swords, pieces of interesting scenery...
-Lots more things that probably you know better than I do since YOU know what your talents and passions are....

Closing Thoughts:
It’s no mystery that Arts funding aint increasing  any time soon. At the same time, we in the arts are always being called upon to show off the fabulous richness of our school, for opening ceremonies, etc..So it never hurst to let people know, the School Board, Principal, Superintendent, how important this program is to you and to your kids, to the community. If we are to continue making this place brighter and richer, we need your help....make a phone call or wrtite an e-mail every now and then and let people know you value the Arts here.

In my 5 years as the Drama guy here, I have really tried to create not just great high school theatre, but Great Theatre for our whole community to enjoy and to be challenged, and thrilled by. I think we have achieved quite a bit of this. Our shows have sold out our 500 seat theatre, been hailed as “brilliant” by such luminaries as CalShakes’ Jonathan Moscone...and “truly great theatre” by ACT’s Casting Director Meryl Shaw... and Tova Zeff, from the Screen Actors Guild found her way to our “Man in the Musical” and exclaimed to me, “the performances you got from these kids were incredible! So professional!”

In the end though, the real value of Drama here at BHS are the life lessons it teaches ALL our kids, not just the ones who go into theatre careers. It teaches the power of teamwork, of the Ensemble. That together, we are greater than the sum of our individual parts. Art  matters.

Keep in touch. 
  

Jordan Winer
ph (510) 332-1931
Hypedrama at aol.com
jwiner at berkeley.k12.ca.us

______________________________
Janet Huseby and Kathryn Capps are the facilitators of the etree; please direct any questions or concerns to them at <bhs-owner at idiom.com>

To subscribe to the etree, write bhs-request at idiom.com with one word only in the subject line: subscribe.
To unsubscribe, write bhs-request at idiom.com with one word only in the subject line: unsubscribe.
  
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.lmi.net/pipermail/bhs/attachments/20040819/27a78357/attachment.html>