Sophomores experience theatre first-hand

Students on field tripMore than one hundred Schuylerville High School sophomores had the opportunity to see what they are learning in English class come to life during two recent field trips. One group of students traveled to the Charles R. Wood Theatre in Glens Falls to see a production of Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” by members of the Adirondack Theatre Company. The students recently finished reading “Macbeth,” and many say seeing a Shakespearean play helped them understand the writing.

“I didn’t really enjoy reading Shakespeare, but I thought seeing the play gave me a better idea of it,” sophomore Grace Perilli said. “The play made me more interested.”

For many students, it was their first exposer to live theater.

“I wasn’t sure what to expect, but it was actually very funny and entertaining,” sophomore Nathaniel Rose said. “It was a new experience for me and I really enjoyed it.”

“We wanted to show students a funnier side to Shakespeare,” English teacher Ross Marvin said. “The play was interactive and gave students a better level of understanding and appreciation for what they have been reading.”

Theatre Fest

Student taking part in theatre activityA group of 20 students had the opportunity to participate in a full-day musical theatre festival at Proctors in Schenectady. The festival featured interactive and supportive workshops, led by industry professionals.

Matthew Stocke, most recently seen on Broadway as Davy Harrison in Sting’s “The Last Ship,” led a workshop on audition technique, which several Schuylerville students participated in.

“It was really cool performing in front of a Broadway star,” sophomore Autumn Connor said. “He taught me a lot of tricks and kept reminding me to keep it simple.”

Students also participated in workshops about stage combat, musical theatre dance, improv and the art of comedy, and special effects make-up.

“It was fun to watch as a make-up artist transformed one of our students into an elderly man (pictured above),” English teacher Linda Clark said. “The students are still raving about how much they enjoyed the field trip.”

“The workshops helped me build up a lot of confidence,” sophomore Quinn Spencer said. “Overall it was a great experience and I think everyone had a lot of fun.”