Theater Academics
Courses Offered
Theatre 1
This course is designed for students with little or no theatre experience, and promotes enjoyment and appreciation for all aspects of theatre. Classwork focuses on the exploration of theatre literature, performance, historical and cultural connections, and technical requirements. Improvisation, creative dramatics, and beginning scene work are used to introduce students to acting and character development. Incorporation of other art forms in theatre also helps students gain appreciation for other art forms, such as music, dance, and visual art.
Theatre 2
This course is designed for students with a year of experience or more, and promotes enjoyment and appreciation for all aspects of theatre through opportunities to build significantly on existing skills. Classwork focuses on characterization, play-writing, and playwrights’ contributions to theatre; while improvisation, creative dramatics, and scene work are used to help students challenge and strengthen their acting skills and explore the technical aspect of scene work.
Theatre 3 Honors
This course is designed for students with significant experience in theatre, and promotes depth of engagement and lifelong appreciation for theatre through a broad spectrum of teacher-assigned and self-directed study and performance. Students regularly reflect on aesthetics and issues related to and addressed through theatre, and create within various aspects of theatre in ways that are progressively more innovative. In keeping with the rigor expected in an accelerated setting, students assemble a portfolio that showcases a significant body of work representing personal vision and artistic growth over time; mastery of theatre skills and techniques in one or more areas; and evidence of significant oral and written analytical and problem-solving skills based on their structural, historical, and cultural knowledge.
Theatre 4 Honors
This course is designed for students with extensive experience in theatre, and promotes significant depth of engagement and lifelong appreciation for theatre through a broad spectrum of primarily self-directed study and performance. In keeping with the rigor expected in an accelerated setting, students assemble a portfolio that showcases a significant body of work representing personal vision and artistic growth over time; mastery of theatre skills and techniques in one or more areas; and evidence of sophisticated oral and written analytical and problem-solving skills based on their structural, historical, and cultural knowledge.
International Baccalaureate Theatre
This course aims to help students understand the nature of the theatre by making it as well as by studying it, and to understand the forms it takes in other cultures. All students must study five compulsory components at HL. They are: Performance skills, World theatre studies, Practical play analysis, Theatre production, Individual project.
Musical Theatre
Students' course work focuses on, but is not limited to, acting, vocal performance, dance, non-dance movement, and staging, which transfer readily to performances in musicals and other venues. Students survey the evolution of music in theatre from ancient Greece to modern Broadway through a humanities approach and representative literature. Music theatre students explore the unique staging and technical demands of musicals in contrast to non-musical plays. Public performances may serve as a culmination of specific instructional goals. Students may be required to attend and/or participate in rehearsals and performances outside the school day to support, extend, and assess learning in the classroom.
Technical Theatre: Design & Production for Costume, Makeup, & Hair
Students focus on learning the basic tools and procedures for designing and creating costumes, hair, and makeup with particular attention to technical knowledge of safety procedures and demonstrated safe operation of theatre equipment, tools, and raw materials. Students also learn the standard conventions of design presentation and documentation; the organizational structure of theatre production and creative work in a collaborative environment; and the resulting artistic improvement. Public performances may serve as a culmination of specific instructional goals. Students may be required to attend or participate in technical work, rehearsals, and/or performances beyond the school day to support, extend, and assess learning in the classroom.
Technical Theatre: Design & Production 1
Students focus on developing the basic tools and procedures for creating elements of technical theatre, including costumes, lighting, makeup, properties (props), publicity, scenery, and sound. Technical knowledge of safety procedures and demonstrated safe operation of theatre equipment, tools, and raw materials are central to success in this course. Students explore and learn to analyze dramatic scripts, seeking production solutions through historical, cultural, and geographic research. Students also learn the basics of standard conventions of design presentation and documentation; the organizational structure of theatre production and creative work in a collaborative environment; and the resulting artistic improvement. Public performances may serve as a culmination of specific instructional goals. Students may be required to attend or participate in technical work, rehearsals, and/or performances beyond the school day to support, extend, and assess learning in the classroom.
Technical Theatre: Design & Production 2
Students focus on the design and safe application of basic tools and procedures to create elements of technical theatre, including costumes, lighting, makeup, properties (props), publicity, scenery, and sound. Students develop assessment and problem-solving skills; the ability to connect selected literature to a variety of cultures, history, and other content areas. Public performances may serve as a culmination of specific instructional goals. Students may be required to attend or participate in technical work, rehearsals, and/or performances beyond the school day to support, extend, and assess learning in the classroom.
Technical Theatre: Design & Production 3-4
Students regularly reflect on aesthetics and issues related to and addressed through theatre, and create within various aspects of theatre. Student designers and technicians assemble a portfolio that showcases a body of work representing artistic growth over time; growing command of theatre skills and techniques in one or more areas; and evidence of significant oral and written analytical and problem-solving skills. Public performances may serve as a culmination of specific instructional goals. Students may be required to attend or participate in technical work, rehearsals, and/or performances beyond the school day to support, extend, and assess learning in the classroom.
Teachers
Kristopher “Kris” Kahn and Timothy Allen are the theatre teachers as well as directors here at Cypress Creek High School.
Kristopher Kahn
[email protected]
Room 2-109
Theatre 1-4; Acting 3&4; IB Theatre; Musical Theatre; Stage Management & Direction; Costume Design; Theatre Tech
Timothy Allen
[email protected]
Room 2-107
Theatre 1-2; Tech Theatre 1-4