The Talent Show with a Simple Rule: Any Language But English. From performers to hosts and even to the backstage crew, we turn down the volume on English for an evening and hear and connect with our school community in a whole new way.

Multiple Helen Hayes Award-Winning actor (and O'Connor alum) Justin Weaks talked to students about his career in the theater, August Wilson, and the craft of physical comedy in the run up to SETC.

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In order to produce this show at a PWI, it's important to have the right team in place. A group of students and faculty (including some who live in the neighborhood featured in the show) helped their peers and director throughout the production to make sure everything felt authentic. 

After viewing the video (play performed live and recorded, then shared with the school community), the AP Latin class and the actors from the play held a virtual talk back to discuss the themes of the story, the rhythm of the language, and the effectiveness of having all the Gods played by our International Students, who were streamed on video as giant figures against the fabric set.

English Department faculty were excited when we solicited teacher volunteers to perform the voices of the Apparitions in Macbeth. Our sound engineer created an eerie, layered recording of their voices. Extra credit for attendees got many through the doors, but the exciting action and clear story is what began a community tradition of going to see the plays. 

Take under-water sculptures and mix in a sound scape and theatrical lighting, plus a special reading of "Rainbow Fish" for faculty children, and an enjoy a twist on an interactive gallery experience. A great way to unwind during exam week!

Naomi Iizuka's play based on real events brings up uncomfortable topics of consent, binge drinking, and social media backlash. The Counseling Office supported talking circles, and offered resources for audience members looking to process the story. 

Video Students worked with the Play Production class to create a multi-media exploration of George Orwell's classic novel.

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Convinced that creativity and connection were essential during the Pandemic, and determined to keep creating, we tried anything

and everything. From building a virtual high school on a website populated with student-written monologues, poems, and recorded dialogues, to a deeply strange rendition of Kafka's Metamorphosis with puppets, we were down, but never out.  

Writers write all night, actors, directors, and design artists work all day, and anyone left standing at 7:00pm can enjoy students and faculty debuting 6-8 new plays. Whether it's your math teacher playing "Banana Man" or a shy kid from your history class battling a radioactive goat...it's anything but ordinary.

This performance used "La Casa en Mango Street"by Sandra Cisneros, and featured performers from Spanish 1 all the way to native speakers. An audience of all levels of Spanish classes plus the Latinos Unidos club made for a special event.

Taking our show on the road...all the way to Scotland! An incredible opportunity to see tons of theater, advertise our work, and participate in the largest performing arts festival in the world

Imagine going to school half a world away where no one has ever heard of The Wizard of Oz, Narnia, or Harry Potter. Students and one Teacher from China were excited to share the story of "Journey to the West" and help oversee all aspects of the production to capture the essence of this famous tale.

The devising class created a story about isolated students in a dystopian future, and I translated it into an interactive, online, choose-your-own-adventure story. With 8 possible endings and digital cameos from the Acting 1 class, it was an experiment unlike any project I've ever directed--until the next fall, when we did it again with an interactive Murder Mystery.

Bring your room mate for an hour or 4, and paint, sew, learn electrics, and more! You will learn new skills and see what exactly is going on in the theater behind the scenes. 

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