Transition to HS Drama: Values and Expectations
Story by Taeyoung Yun, Alex Cha, Sophia Lee
Edited by Julie Hwang
Design by Helaine Lee
Edited by Julie Hwang
Design by Helaine Lee
“HS Drama is fun, it’s dynamic, it’s entertaining, it’s thoroughly enjoyable. It’s experimental, it’s silly, … it’s fun.” said Mr. Williams, the MS and HS Drama teacher, when he was asked about what his high school classes were like. HS Drama is an option for students who have preferably taken Drama in the past in middle school. It is a class where students can learn to have fun and let their creativity shine through their own written and performed skits and plays.
There are many expectations for students wanting to take higher levels of drama after middle school. “I want them to not lose what they’ve got in grade eight. Something happens between grade eight and grade nine, when students for some reason lose their ability to play. Lose their ability to risk. They lose their ability to try things without fear of getting it wrong.” said Mr. Williams. Experimenting and getting something wrong is okay, as long as you learn from your mistakes. It is also helpful to already have the basic knowledge and experience, and being ready to commit time to the class. Some ninth graders put in their thoughts about HS Drama and its expectations. “HS Drama requires a lot of teamwork and imagination.” says Sunny Oh, explaining how the biggest difference she thinks to be between MS and HS is the increase in independence and number of projects. She also explained that HS Drama wasn’t as easy as it looked, and was not all fun and games. She warned future students to take drama very seriously. “The main focus of HS Drama is exploring your extent, how far you can go, how far you can differentiate your character with your self.” says Sky Park, also currently taking Drama 1. So not only is HS Drama a great class to express your creativity and acting skills, it is also a class with high expectations, and is obviously not just for any high school student. The most important factors of a successful drama student is having past experience, creativity, commitment, and motivation. It is a chance to show off what you have, so if you are above these expectations, you may want to think about joining HS Drama starting next year in ninth grade. |
Mr. Williams has been teaching drama at SIS for 3 years. During his time, he has increased the quality of the drama department in SIS. Photograph by Sophia Lee (8)
Drama students use different techniques during their performances to create the mood and atmosphere in the room. Photograph by Sophia Lee (8)
The Black Box Theatre is the workspace for all drama students in both High school and Middle school. Photograph by Sophia Lee (8)
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