Drama and Stagecraft

MCHS Drama and Stagecraft students are provided with a safe haven to develop performing and technical theater skills among the standards of a professional environment. Students grow together as they gain confidence in their creativity and collaborations alongside solid show business skills. It is the goal of the MCHS Drama and Stagecraft program to produce performers, designers, and technicians who are ready to continue their education in college, and who are prepared for job opportunities in theater, television, and film industries.

• Drama 1: Learn a variety of basic performing skills culminating in two showcases per year. 

- Warmup with improv games and meditation.

- Learn standard comedic character types.

- Choose, analyze, and perform beginner monologues and scenes.

- Create your own stand-up comedy routine.
- Learn how to audition, create your resume and headshot photo, and connect with agencies and casting directors.

• Drama 2: Continue in learning challenging performing techniques culminating in two showcases per year. (Drama 1 prerequisite.)

- Delve further into character development.

- Examine more complex monologues, scenes, and plays.

- Direct a student scene.

- Discover tips for callbacks and cold readings.

- Learn and apply Shakespeare's language.

• Stagecraft: Become proficient in technical theater skills and design basics.

- Design and implement skills in marketing, costumes, sets, lights, and sound for MCHS productions.

- Be a part of at least one run crew for one of the two main drama productions.

- Opportunities to run crew for choir, band, or dance concerts, as well as rental shows.

- Collaborate with classmates and professionals in the industry.

FESTIVALS and TRIPS

- Drama and Stagecraft students may be selected to participate in the Lenaea Festival in Folsom and meet other drama students from around the state! Observing the festival is open to all!

- Visits to local theater companies and film festivals, The Oregon Shakespeare Festival, New York, and more are on the horizon for anyone interested in joining us! Check the Callboard in the Drama hallway in the Performing Arts Building and morning announcements for updates!

There are two main drama productions produced each year for which students are required to audition. Those who are cast will participate in shows ranging from classical and contemporary dramas, comedies, to musicals and Shakespeare. Intensive after-school and weekend commitments are required for rehearsals and performances, and advance notice is always given to arrange your schedule. For audition announcements and updates, attend Drama Club meetings every other Thursday at lunch in the Drama room J-4 in the Performing Arts Building starting Thursday, August 23rd and check the Callboard in the Drama hallway, and listen to morning announcements. Visit or e-mail Mrs. Elia-Yen with any questions!

- Fall Drama 1&2 Showcase: Dec. 11 in J-4

- Lenaea Festival: Feb. 1,2,3 (Folsom, CA)

- Spring Production: Mar. 7,8,9,10,14,15 main stage

- Spring Drama 1&2 Showcase: May 13 in J-4

- Drama Club Party: May 18

Our revamped student Drama Club is the perfect place to support the program, be creative, and enjoy a sense of professional structure and family with like-minded individuals. Especially if you are not sure if Drama or Stagecraft is for you, we welcome you to participate and see what we are about! Drama Club meets every other Thursday at lunch in the Drama room J-4 in the Performing Arts Building starting Thursday, August 23rd. Check the Callboard in the Drama hallway and listen to morning announcements for updates.

Denise Elia-Yen has performed on both coasts and represented the United States in theater festivals abroad. She received consecutive Principal Actress in a Musical awards (300+ house) from the San Francisco Bay Area Critic’s Circle as Elizabeth in MEL BROOKS’ YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN (2013) and Annie Oakley in ANNIE GET YOUR GUN (2014), with five nominations since 2008. She made her directorial debut with the critically-acclaimed Spreckels/Riot Theater production of STALAG 17, and directed THE SUGAR BEAN SISTERS which

won the SFBATCC Award for Best Set Design and Marquee Award for Best Lighting Design among several technical nominations.
 

For nearly a decade, Elia-Yen built drama programs at local schools and drama camps. She is delighted to have landed as the Drama and Stagecraft teacher at MCHS. You will find her in film, television, commercials, print, and voice-overs. She received her B.F.A. in Theater Performance and B.A. in Italian from the Center for the Arts, S.U.N.Y. at Buffalo, New York.