The Cape Henlopen Theatre pathway consists of four, sequential year-long courses that will provide students with training in all aspects of theatrical creation. Over their four years at Cape, students will train in voice, movement, musical theatre, theatre history, acting, style, directing, designing, ensemble-building, devising, and more. The pathway draws upon a diverse array of methods, artists, and philosophies in order to provide students with a well-rounded experience in theatre-making. Students enrolled in the Theatre pathway will leave Cape Henlopen High School equipped with a firm grasp on the most important skills required in both the professional and academic spheres of drama—and will have the ability, if they so choose, to continue to pursue the art of theatre. All theatre students, both those who wish to pursue theatre and those who enjoy it as a hobby without an interest in further study, will have the benefit of growing their empathy, critical thinking, leadership, and interpersonal skills throughout their coursework.

In year one, students will cultivate an understanding of basic theatrical knowledge—such as industry jargon, and the unique considerations necessitated by live performance. Students will engage in an acting curriculum aimed at introducing them to Stanislavski’s method, Uta Hagen’s technique, beginning voice and movement work, the rehearsal process, scene development, and performance. In addition, the Theatre Fundamentals course will introduce students to scenic, lighting, and costume design, as well as playwriting.

In year two, students will delve deeper into the study of acting. The Actor’s Instrument will emphasize voice and movement work in an effort to heighten performance and believability. Students in this course will participate in pantomime, Rasaboxes, mask work, stage combat, dance, accent work, diction and projection exercises, scene study, improvisation, and character development. Additionally, students in this class will look at a multitude of plays through scene study and analysis, with a  primary focus on American playwrights.

Prerequisite: Must have passed Theatre Fundamentals and The Actor’s Instrument courses.

In year three, students will study the history of live performance as they explore a multitude of different theatrical styles and genres from the morality play and Ancient Greek tragedy through to recent contemporary movements. During their coursework, students will analyze rigorous and culturally significant texts such as the plays of Euripides, Boal, Molière, Federico García Lorca, George Farquhar, Henrik Ibsen, Anton Chekhov, Shakespeare, and more. Through this course, year three students will develop the tools to better consider the historical and social significance in their performance and explore acting style through monologue and scene study. 

In year four, students will adopt the role of director. They will study numerous different directing techniques and styles in order to find what best suits their own work. Students will explore genre and style in an effort to build a well of knowledge to draw upon as a director. Each student in this course will select a ten-minute one-act play for production. Students will then cast, rehearse, and stage their shows culminating in a Spring Festival performance for the public. This rigorous course will help students to develop their leadership skills and will demand that they are able to organize and facilitate rehearsals on their own.  Through this course, the student will:

• Develop and apply skills in script analysis, “How does a play work?”
• Strive to make the playwright’s text the foundation of production.
• Start to develop a system to organize a play production.
• Apply the basics of composition, blocking, actor coaching, and other skills to the production of a play.
• Develop a system to document the analysis, planning, and performance of a play script.
• Express their critical evaluation of plays in rehearsal and performance

The Theatre Performance elective course will allow students an opportunity to develop devised work. It may be taken more than once, as well as simultaneously with any of the year 2-4 courses of the pathway. Students enrolled in this course will study the elements and craft of story-telling. They will investigate contemporary theatre and performance innovation. This course is a performance-driven ensemble class. Students will work on building relationships with one another in order to construct a collaborative and creative company.