Welcome Back! Students are arriving by the dozens and we in the theatre are ready!

First on the docket is 12th Grade Orientation on Sunday. It’s one of our favorite times of year. Every member of the senior class participates in a theatre workshop that helps them let loose, bond as a class, but most importantly reflect on what they want to get out of the year. Participating in exercises devised by Theatre for Social Change practitioner Michael Rohd, our seniors have the opportunity to create a vision of what their senior year will look like and how they want to contribute to our community. Seeing the senior class come together is the best way to start the year.

Then comes the first day of classes. This year seventh grade theatre meets first period. There is nothing like the explosive energy of Williston’s youngest class- and I couldn’t think of a better way to start the 2015-2016 school year than having their bustling, boisterous creativity take over the studio theatre! We’ll hit the ground running with some name games and then an always competitive round of ABC Relay, theatre style.

Before you know it, the afternoon program will roll around and the tech theatre students will gather to learn about the set for our fall production, Euripides’ The Trojan Women. With opening night less than five weeks away, I have no doubt technical theatre director Charles Raffetto will get them working straight away. For those who don’t know, we started transitioning to an LED lighting system which, besides being more environmentally sound than our old system, allows us to do more complex and intricate designs. Mr. Raffetto’s enthusiasm for our new lighting system cannot be matched.

To end the day we will hold auditions for the fall play. Our actors are in for a treat as they try their hand at moving and speaking one of the choral odes from Euripides’ play. It should prove to be a challenging and rewarding experience, which I’m convinced are the best experiences to be had.

Needless to say, we are hitting the ground running. Sunday can’t arrive soon enough!