• Stage Crew:  Student technicians and craftspeople would develop, build, and run the scenery, painting, props, costumes, lighting, and sound for all production that are led by faculty and student Areas Heads. Students who work outside of the performances are eligible for community service hours. Experienced students are able to become Area Heads in their specialty area. Area head positions include Stage Manager, Scenic Shop Manager, Master Carpenter, Lead Scenic Artist, Props Master, Costume Shop Manager, Wardrobe Head, Master Electrician, Lead Audio Technician, and Board Operators. No experienced is required to join the stage crew and work times are flexible. Students may join the crew at any time. But the best time to join is at the beginning of the rehearsal process which starts after the shows are cast. The choice of specialty areas to join are always by that student. If a student does not know what area to join, Mr. Iwaniec and the area heads are happy to advise. They may also switch and/or try new areas.
• Jackson-Reed Players: Students have the opportunity to work with professional production teams, as well as to produce, write, direct, design and act in student led productions. Jackson-Reed Players choose and present their own productions. New members of Jackson-Reed Players are selected each spring for the following year and play a significant role in the performance culture at Jackson-Reed. They are sponsored by Ms. Mfalingundi..
• Theater Boosters:  All Jackson-Reed productions, department and student led, are supported by the generosity of the greater Jackson-Reed Community, including the Jackson-Reed Theater Boosters and the PTSO.

Theater Courses

• Dramatics - Introductory exploration of performance, playwrighting, criticism and design in theater (.5 Credits)
• Creative Drama - Advanced practice and study of performance and playwrighting skills (.5 Credits)
• Stagecraft I - Introduction to technical skills, knowledge and design of Props, Scenery, Costume, Lighting, and Sound in theater and film. (.5 Credits, College Level and Career Preparatory Course)
• Stagecraft II - Advanced practice of technical skills, knowledge and design of Props, Scenery, Costume, Lighting, and Sound in theater and film. (.5 Credits, College Level and Career Preparatory Course)

Play Reading List

• Angel Street by Patrick Hamilton
• The Cherry Orchard by Anton Chekhov
• Choir Boy by Tarell Alvin McCraney
• A Dance of the Forest by Wole Soyinka
• Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller
• Fireworks by Dalia Taha
• For Colored Girls… by Ntozake Shange
• Hamlet by William Shakespeare
• The House of Bernarda Alba by Fedrico Garcia Lorca
• How I Learned to Drive by Paula Vogel
• The Important of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde
• The Mousetrap by Agatha Christie
• Peer Gynt by Henrik Ibsen
• The Piano Lesson by August Wilson
• The Play that Goes Wrong by Henry Lewis, Henry Shields, and Jonathan Sayer
• Puffs, or Seven Increasingly Eventful Years… by Matt Cox
• Rachel by Angelina Weld Grimke
• Rhinoceros in Love by Liao Yimei
• Scapino! by Frank Dunlop and Jim Dale
• Scream (Scary Movie) by Kevin Williamson
• Skeleton Crew by Dominique Morisseau
• She Kills Monsters by Qui Nguyen
• Tartuffe by Moliere
• Wig Out by Tarell Alvin McCraney
• The Woman in Black by Stephen Mallatratt

If you’d like a copy of any of these titles, email Mr. Iwaniec at daniel.iwaniec@k12.dc.gov or see him in the Blackbox Theater

Play Watch List

Links to these can be found here: http://www.daniwaniec.com/watch-list.html

• Bhagavadajjukam Sanskrit Drama
• Crash Course Theatre with Mike Rugnetta
• Into the Woods by Stephen Sondheim (Original Broadway)
• MacBeth by William Shakespeare (Folger Theater)
• The Monkey King (Peking Opera)
• Oedipus Rex by Sophocles (Canadian Stratford Festival)
• Peter Pan Goes Wrong by Henry Lewis, Henry Shields, and Jonathan Sayer
• Sarafina! by Mbongeni Ngema (Howard University Theater)
• The Taming of the Shrew by Shakespeare (American Conservatory Theater)
• Women Generals of the Yang Family (Peking Opera)
• Yellowface by David Henry Hwang

 

*For productions only. Auditions are not required to enroll in any classes.
Dates: To be announced soon!

Completed Audition Form (available at the audition date)

Singing

•  32-Bars or 30-40 seconds long of a song
• Memorized
• Acapella (No Music)

Acting

• Cold Reading (performing from a script with 10-15 minutes of prep)
• Scenes will be provided
• Not Memorized

Dancing (Separate Day)

• Taught a short dance
• Special Skills (Acrobatics, dance skills, etc.)

Plays

Acting

• Cold Reading (performing from a script with 10-15 minutes of prep)
• Scenes will be provided
• Not Memorized

Improv Games

• Group Warms Ups
• Short scenarios

Call Backs

Singing

• Taught short sections of songs
• Assessing vocal range

Acting

• Cold Reading of scenes and/or monologues
• Reading with assigned partners
• Asked to take direction from director

Audition Tips

Singing

• In the Style of Musical (Rock, Pop, Jazz, etc.)
• Complimentary to your voice and vocal range
• Choose a song that the director will likely know
• Act with strong Character choices (Don't "Park and Bark")

Acting

• Character (Specific vocal, gesture, and movement choices)
• Action (What the character is doing in the scene)
• Relationships (Connection and reactions to the other characters)
• Environment (Interaction with the setting)

Slate

(Introduction to you, grade, and your song/scene)

• "Hi! I'm __________ and I'm in ___th grade. I'll be singing ___________ from ___________." Or "I'll be reading the part of ___________."
• Clearly say your name and grade with enthusiasm
• Be confident when you say the title and the play/artist

Be Familiar with the script

• Research the major plot points, themes, and characters
• Know the goals and specific characterizations (personality/emotions) of roles you could portray

Own the Room

• Pretend like you are the host of a party and the auditioners are your guests.
• Pretend that the audition room is your home.
• Remember you are the light/brightness in the room

Prepare for mistakes

• Practice not reacting to or stopping when you make minor mistakes
• Rehearse recovering after missing a note or line

Know that the Auditioners want you to do well! They are

• not judging you
• thinking about where you fit into the show
• performers who know firsthand what it's like to audition