The Art of Drama

Trinity Repertory has proudly provided drama education to many schools within the state for years, instructing over 300 students per week. However, they have never developed a program from the ground up, as they have this year with Rocky Hill School. From March 7-9, students will be performing the famous 1957 Broadway production, West Side Story. This will be the second show since the partnership began this past fall.

For their first performance in November, Trinity helped students in grades 6-12 curate a variety show called Growing Up: A Dramatic Experience, a theme chosen by the students. It filled the entire “Cafetorium” and it received waves of positive feedback from parents, staff and students. The enrollment for this upcoming musical doubled from 22 kids to 42 kids after the success of the variety show.

“The quality of the performance in both the process and production made it the ‘cool thing’ that everybody wanted to do,” says Meg Myette, chair of the performing arts department at Rocky Hill and initiator of the partnership. Rocky Hill School has a strong music and visual arts program, but Meg felt that their drama program needed revitalization.

Two faculty members and three main educators from Trinity rehearse with students three times a week. Other members also occasionally stop in for special instruction, such as when students shadowed the lighting crew. Music lessons are on Mondays so students are prepared to take the stage during their other two rehearsals. After the success of the last performance, the staff of Trinity and Rocky Hill School chose the musical, West Side Story because it would challenge students’ ability to render intensity on the stage while remaining family friendly. “It’s an iconic show to kick off the partnership and to cement the work that kids are doing,” says Matt Tibbs, Trinity’s school partnerships manager and teaching artist.

Both Meg and Matt have witnessed many students blossom both on and off the stage. This is no surprise, because theatre can be both cathartic and eye opening for students of all ages. Rehearsing for a role isn’t simply pretending to be a character – it’s learning how to temporarily become them. To act the part requires an understanding of a new perspective. Matt explains how this helps students develop empathy and enables them to grow in their own lives. Meg mentioned at least two Upper School students who want to pursue acting in college and perhaps as a career. Trinity has provided professional feedback and experience, which allowed for a deeper exploration of the craft. Many students have also become more receptive to critiques because the advice comes from specialized educators. “The kids are proud of what they’re doing on stage and they’re thirsty for knowledge to make it better,” says Meg.

During the variety show, an international student nailed a comedy skit in English, which is her second language. “To see international students doing comedic timing that is not in their own tongue is mind boggling,” says Meg.

Another student found solace behind the scenes. Before the program, the student would frequent the nurse’s office as a place of comfort. She would stop in most days during the week, except for one – the tech week of the variety show. “That is one simple illustration of the power that art has. Her excitement about working on a project with her peers bled into her normal school life as well, which we have seen hundreds of times,” says Matt.

Meg could not be more thrilled about the success of the partnership and she is certainly not the only one who wants to see it grow. “We are really lucky here because the administration is very supportive of the arts. We have a really strong art program for all disciplines – music, art, and now thanks to Trinity we have a really fantastic drama program,” says Meg.

There will be two more performances this spring. One will be a play performed by Upper School students, which is still in the works. The other will be a junior musical, performed by the Lower School. The Lower School performance will be Once on this Island, a “Caribbean Romeo and Juliet” according to Meg. There is also discussion about how to expand the curriculum further. Both Trinity and Rocky Hill School want this to be a lasting relationship. “The quality on stage has elevated so much,” says Meg, “There is a perfect balance of a good sense of humor and driving work ethic.” West Side Story March 7-8 at 7pm and March 9 at 2pm Tickets are $5 Reserve at mmyette@rockyhill.org or buy at the door 530 Ives Road East Greenwich.