NewsUpper SchoolPre-K to 8Fine Arts
Theater program anticipates groundbreaking year
Jul 18, 2001 8:00 AM
By Stefan Eady - Faculty
Darlington’s theater program is pushing its boundaries more than ever in an effort to have another strong, successful year. In addition to performing three plays during the 2001-2002 school year, the Musical Theater class, which was founded last year, will be integrated with Drama I and II to provide a yearlong learning experience for students.
The fall one-act play will be Arsenic and Old Lace, and auditions will be held Monday, August 20, the first day of classes. The winter musical, The King and I, will be a Darlington first, as auditions will be open to Lower and Middle School children as well as Upper School students. The spring play, The Good Times Are Killing Me, will also be a step forward, as the cast calls for at least five African-American students; the play centers on the friendship between a young white girl and a young African-American girl.
“I’m very excited about this upcoming year,” Darlington Players Director Marisa Ortega ‘85 said. “I’m especially looking forward to working with [Lower School Drama and Music Lead Teacher] Diane Lumpkin, who will help us with the music in The King and I.”
Last year, Ortega’s one-trimester Musical Theater class taught students how to combine their acting and singing talents to perform pieces from Broadway musicals. This year, the one-trimester courses Drama I and Drama II will act as preparatory lead-ins to Musical Theater, causing the course to effectively span all three trimesters.
“[Choral Director] Dan Bishop and I noticed that there was a lot of interest in the musical, and there was only one opportunity per year for students to participate,” Ortega said. “This class provides students more opportunities to learn about using their voices dramatically, not just musically.”
Ortega also noted that Drama Sets Designer Mark Hoven spent time studying in England this summer and has plans for the sets of Arsenic and Old Lace and The King and I.
The fall one-act play will be Arsenic and Old Lace, and auditions will be held Monday, August 20, the first day of classes. The winter musical, The King and I, will be a Darlington first, as auditions will be open to Lower and Middle School children as well as Upper School students. The spring play, The Good Times Are Killing Me, will also be a step forward, as the cast calls for at least five African-American students; the play centers on the friendship between a young white girl and a young African-American girl.
“I’m very excited about this upcoming year,” Darlington Players Director Marisa Ortega ‘85 said. “I’m especially looking forward to working with [Lower School Drama and Music Lead Teacher] Diane Lumpkin, who will help us with the music in The King and I.”
Last year, Ortega’s one-trimester Musical Theater class taught students how to combine their acting and singing talents to perform pieces from Broadway musicals. This year, the one-trimester courses Drama I and Drama II will act as preparatory lead-ins to Musical Theater, causing the course to effectively span all three trimesters.
“[Choral Director] Dan Bishop and I noticed that there was a lot of interest in the musical, and there was only one opportunity per year for students to participate,” Ortega said. “This class provides students more opportunities to learn about using their voices dramatically, not just musically.”
Ortega also noted that Drama Sets Designer Mark Hoven spent time studying in England this summer and has plans for the sets of Arsenic and Old Lace and The King and I.
