Theatre

To perform and experience theatre is at the very heart of the human experience. Theatre is an art form that evolves from basic storytelling which has been around for a millennium. Through the study and understanding of these stories, the students can begin to understand the nature of the human experience and to understand the world around them. In class, students are exposed to a variety of genres and styles and learn how best to communicate these very human stories with an audience. In our extracurricular program, students take these stories and bring them to life on the stage.

Theatre by its very nature is designed to foster the idea of the ensemble. The theatre department at DRHS is no different. The students understand that every person involved is necessary to perform to the best ability. The theatre department is incredibly welcoming to students of all backgrounds, grades and abilities. Every person's unique traits and talents are valued and put to the best possible use.

There are high expectations within the theatre department at Dakota Ridge. Our classes range from beginning, to intermediate, to advanced IB-level courses. Students are then encouraged to take the knowledge that they have gained in the classroom and apply it to other subjects or to the extracurricular program. Students are not graded in class on their level of talent, but the amount of effort that is put forth in the class. Extracurricularly, students utilize skills from all of the core subjects, especially English and Social Studies, in order to understand the piece they are performing.

This is perhaps the aspect of the motto that the theatre department embodies the most. Every day, students both in the classroom and out strive to be better and to perform at a higher standard than those that came before. They go above and beyond to make each experience a worthwhile one. The desire to “put on a good show” runs deep and they want their audience to appreciate what they do. That desire leads to quality productions and performance experiences of which they are proud.