The students of the Theatre Arts Academy at Cape Henlopen High School have a brand-new theatre loaded with plenty of performances in the upcoming months. When the students first returned from their summer break, they took part in a Monologue Festival, showcasing a monologue from a play or musical they had attended over the summer. The students’ First Quarterly Performance will be next on the evening of Thursday, October 29, at 5:30 p.m. in the state-of-the-art Theatre. This performance is free to the public and exhibits what the students have learned in the Program throughout their first several units of study.
The Theatre Arts Academy at Cape Henlopen High School is designed to move students through a four-year sequential course of learning to prepare them for a college career in theatre or to enhance life skills needed for success in the working world. The course work, designed to reveal the joy of performing while creating educated audience members, influences student work in every aspect of the high school experience. Students develop exemplary work habits, both as individuals and as part of a group, in a nurturing, creative community within the school. The faculty of the Theatre Arts Academy is comprised of professional performers and performing arts educators, supervised by Ken Skrzesz, Executive Director of Clear Space Productions. Students in the Program make connections between the arts and their lives through ongoing creative and engaging projects. Katie Moshaver, a student now in Level 3 (Acting in the American Theatre), commented, “In my theatre classes, I learn about everything … history, literature, how to be a better person. They make me feel more confident to express myself.”
Each unit is taught by a different faculty member according to their specialty, and lasts anywhere from three to six weeks, dependent upon the material covered. The upcoming Quarterly Performance on October 29 will feature work from units such as Soft Shoe, Waltz, Vocal Technique, Vocal Performance, and Monologue and Scene Work.
Other upcoming performances by students of the Theatre Arts Academy include their debut performance in the new space with Oscar Wilde’s classic comedy of manners, THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST. Shows will run Thursday, November 12 through Saturday, November 14 at 7 p.m. with an additional Saturday Matinee at 3 p.m. Tickets are $5 for students and $7 for adults. The students will also partake in their first Cabaret Performance on Thursday, November 23. For more information regarding Theatre Arts Academy or Clear Space events and performances, please email Theatre Arts Academy Instructor, Dana Peragallo, at dana@ClearSpaceProductions.org or contact her at the Clear Space Office (302.644.3810) to join the mailing list.
