Welcome!

Welcome to a brand new school year CISB students! Now is the perfect time to set goals, get involved and commit to being the best student you can be! We are so excited for all the awesome things we have in store for the theatre department this year.

First trimester, all grade 8 students will be taking the theatre portion of MYP Fine Arts. Our first unit, called Yes, And…, focuses on the theatrical style of improvisation. Students learn improv strategies through improv games, exercises and examples. The final assessment, the Improv Olympics, consists of multiple improv performances or “events.” Our second unit, Movement is Magic, centers on physical theatre and involves an exciting Service as Action project in which students must create plays for a grade 6 audience.

Grade 9s will be taking part in a unit called The Original Drama Queens. In this unit, students learn all about how to perform and structure a melodrama. They explore stock characters, plot, melodrama gestures, asides and acting style. This unit culminates in a final performance of short, original melodrama plays.

In Grade 10, Theatre students will build communication and creative thinking skills through two major units of study. First, the class will learn the elements of Laban Movement Analysis (LMA) to explore ways we can create and understand characters through movement. After that, the majority of the semester will be focused on a unit called “Characters in Context” – during which students will inquire into an Italian theatre style called Commedia dell’Arte. Overall, these two units are connected by a major through-line that emphasizes physicality over personality. What this means is that, throughout the semester, students will learn to build characters from the outside first – starting with the body and exploring how one’s physical character influences their personality.

The CISB StageCats are in full swing with the first small-cast show, Waiting in the Wings, beginning rehearsals this Wednesday. This original show is a collaborative piece between StageCats directors and students, and was workshopped last May and June. The production opens on Wednesday, September 20^th at 7pm with additional shows on Friday, September 22^nd and Saturday, September 23^rd. Stay tuned for details on how to get tickets to this unique theatrical experience. For those interested in becoming a StageCat, check us out at the ASA Fair or come and see Ms. Knowles in E213 at any time for more info.

Important CISB Theatre Info:

1. Our hashtags on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook

• #CISBtheatrearts – academic/ class-related
• #CISBstagecats – after-school Drama, Glee & pocket performances
• #StageCatsInTheWings – our current production hashtag, which changes with each production

2. Teachers

• Ms. Knowles – Grades 6-9 MYP Theatre, StageCats Drama & Glee
• Mr. Connolly – Grade 10 MYP Theatre, StageCats Drama
• Mrs. Mackenzie – StageCats Drama & Glee
• Ms. Dickinson – StageCats Drama

To find out more about the CISB Theatre teachers and their specific roles in theatre at CISB, please check out the teacher page under “About”.

Again, welcome! Here’s to another amazing year of Theatre! 🙂