Drama

At Friends' Central, we pride ourselves on our theater program. Beginning with the Lower School plays, which include every member of the class, and moving through to the Middle and Upper Schools, where students with a particular interest in the theater arts are able to take part on stage or behind-the-scenes in productions throughout the year, the theater program helps students to find their voices, develop self-confidence, and practice creativity.

Drama In The Lower School

At the Lower School, drama is integrated into the general curriculum. All students in grades 1-3 perform classroom plays at the end of each year. Nursery, Pre-K, and K, too, have opportunities for dramatic expression, from acting out nursery rhymes to doing skits and plays for parents.

The end-of-year plays are a highly effective way to integrate learning in reading, writing, and history, as they tie in with the Lower School's commitment to thematic learning.

Lower School Assistant Principal, Ginger Fifer believes that the benefits of students producing and acting in plays each year are endless and revolve around the teachers' steadfast commitment to deepening students' self-esteem.

Drama In The Middle School

In the classroom, sixth, seventh, and eighth grade students exercise their imagination, create improvisationally, and develop their unique voice. Every student will have a rotation of drama to develop their skills. Sixth grade students will grow through storytelling, seventh grade through playwriting, and eighth grade has an opportunity to join a semester-long elective in advanced acting; all along, devising new work and performing costumed classics and modern plays from around the globe.

On our FCS mainstage, we produce a musical in the fall, and the students' original plays every spring. During the entire season, the students can work behind the scenes, student direct, or stage manage. They can join our fabulous stage crew to learn to create with lights, sound, tech, and set construction. Rehearsals are held two-three days after school from 3:15-5:15 pm, giving every student a time to make new friends and celebrate their talents.

Drama In The Upper School

The Friends' Central Upper School drama program is dedicated to bringing a variety of theatrical offerings to our students and to the community at large. Focusing on the power of the ensemble, students experiment with performing Greek drama, Shakespeare, and comic improvisation, as well as work by contemporary writers like Anna Deavere Smith. On our "main stage," two productions are offered each year. In the winter, productions alternate between musical theater productions and the works of Shakespeare with a play offered every fall. Each year, a senior is chosen to direct our 9th and 10th grade play in the spring. This production offers younger students a third performance opportunity and a chance for a senior to experience producing and directing a play or musical. Friends' Central School is honored to offer all theater and concert performances free of charge so the entire community may benefit from the wealth of student talent and creativity.

For information on drama in the academic curriculum visit our Upper School curriculum pages.