Students from PHS’s Drama 1 and Technical Theater visited the Fresno State Department of Theatre and Dance today, where students had the opportunity to engage in the art of performance both center stage and backstage.
During our visit, students met Victor E. the 4th, toured the acting classrooms and participated in a college Drama class with Professor Leslie Martin. They gained valuable insights into the intricacies of theatrical performance in acting and scene design. We are proud to announce that, a PHS Alumni, Devin Fuentes who graduated class of 2024, was also coincidentally a Drama student in the class we participated in today.
After sitting into the lecture, and observing college student performances, our PHS students participated in improvisation skits to put their learning to practice both in the theatre classroom and in the University Theatre.
We completed a workshop in the Woods (Arena) Theatre led by renowned Director J. Daniel Herring, which was both informative and inspiring as students put body and voice acting techniques to practice on stage.
After the workshop, Dr. Gibson, the Chair of the Fresno State Theatre Department, led us on a comprehensive tour that included several highlights including:
- A visit backstage of the John Wright Theatre.
- Insights into set design by visiting the stage craft area and meeting staff and student set designers.
- An on stage tour of the John Wright Theatre.
- A Q&A session with the Experimental Theatre Company Student Board, where Fresno State student directors, actors, and stage hands gave an overview of the student- led theatre club and answered questions.
- A visit to the costume design space, talking to student and staff designers.
- A tour of the storage areas, including makeup and crew lockers.
- And a visit to the Fresno State makeup and dressing rooms.
- We concluded our day with a Q&A session with Dr. Gibson, who provided valuable information about classes and majors offered for theatre and non- theatre majors through their department at Fresno State.
PHS Drama Students are preparing to re- visit the department of Theatre and Dance at Fresno State in December where they will be invited to a special dress rehearsal performance of “Red Velvet” by Lolita Chakrabarti and directed by Brad Myers. Senior Drama Students will have the opportunity to partake in scholarship auditions and interviews on that day.
Overall, our trip was an enriching experience that deepened our understanding of the many facets and intricate moving parts of the art of performance. A special shout out to our PHS Journalism students for the pictures, to our chaperones, and to everyone’s support in this, the first year’s re- introduction of the Theater Program at PHS.
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