2017-2018 A Year in Review
The Theatre Arts program at County Prep HS has had an incredibly busy but rewarding year. The students undergo a rigorous and rewarding program based on the professional model, and focus on classics, world theatre, modern plays, musicals and improvisations. Our productions and classes offer students the opportunity to develop individual interest while gaining invaluable practical experience in acting, musical theatre and stagecraft. The students start by learning both important aspects of the history of theatre and basic acting skills and are first assigned classical monologues, and scenes. They take part in auditions for our main productions, they participate in fieldtrips to Brooklyn Academy of Music, Manhattan Theatre Club or the Roundabout theatre and take workshops with various professional directors. They also participate in competitions such as the Teen Arts competition at NJCU, the Papermill Playhouse Musical competition and the Montclair State Theatre Night Foxy Awards.
Performances:
- HCST Gala and Fundraiser- - the students presented a short selection of scenes, and songs from our musical How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
- The Christmas Show- the students presented a short selection of scenes, and songs from our musical How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying as well as a skit entitled Deconstructing Christmas, written and performed by the members of the Improv show
- The Fantasticks, our school Musical
- County Prep Live 2, hosted by Senior Matthew Riccardi, Our Fourth Yearly Improv Jamboree, a fundraiser and improvisation show
- Bodas de Sangre, by Federico García Lorca- our Mainstage production
Field Trips and Competitions this Year:
- The Roundabout Theatre on Broadway: Time and the Conway, by J. B. Priestley
- Manhattan Theatre Club: Tony nominated play The Children, by Lucy Kirkwood; workshops with guest artist Melissa Murray-Mutch and other professional actors
- Theatre Day with workshops with Theatre Professionals organized by the Teen Arts Alliance at Hoboken High School
- Sound Painting Workshop with Leese Walker, Artistic, Producing Director and Founder of Strike Anywhere Performance Ensemble
- Teen Arts Competition, where Tyla Gibson received the Judge’s Award (Small Group Drama) for her rendition of a monologue from Igmar Bergman’s screenplay Persona
- The Montclair State Foxy Awards Competition, where last year’s play Summer and Smoke was nominated for two lead actor Foxy awards, for Best Lead Actor (Adam Hassan) and Best Lead Actress (Kailyn Segovia).
- Repertorio Español: La casa de Bernarda Alba, by Federico García Lorca
We are very proud to announce that some of our seniors will continue their theatre education after leaving County Prep. Kyle Velazquez will pursue his theatre studies at Marymount College, Julio Velazquez will attend Kean University and Matthew Riccardi will attend Montclair State University. Also a large number of the theatre students were cast by the local Film company County Films, filming a web series this summer here in Hudson County. Stay tuned for additional information!
Congratulations to all!