Drama Club

The mission of the Burlington High School Drama Club is as follows

• To encourage and promote the exchange of ideas, research, and creative production in all aspects of theater, both technical and performance-based, including acting, lighting, sound, construction, costume design and stage management
• To provoke and sustain interest in the theater as one source of truth and insight into the human condition
• To provide students enhanced understanding of current issues through theatrical expression
• To educate and train future practitioners of performing arts
• To present plays which reflect the both the past and present condition of society

The Burlington High School Drama Club  

Overview 

There are three “seasons” of Drama at Burlington High School. Two seasons, the One Act Play Festival  and the Musical are open to all students and no cuts are made. Anyone that wishes to participate and be a member of the cast may do so. Anyone wishing to participate in stage construction and stage crew is also welcome to join the production. 

The One Act Play Festival

This school year, we began our season with the One Act Play Festival. The festival is a great opportunity for students to be in a play, who do not wish to deal with the singing, dancing and demanding schedule of the Musical. It is also a wonderful chance for ninth and tenth graders to earn leading and featured roles in plays. 

The Festival consists of several plays directed primarily by Junior and Senior members of the Drama Club. This provides these students with the rare opportunity to select their own plays, learn about set and lighting design, costumes and sound. They must learn to direct their peers and lead them through the rehearsal process to the performance. The Festival also provides young playwrights with a venue in which to see their work produced. 

The rehearsal schedules are posted each Monday for the week. Rehearsals can be from 3:30-5:30. This all depends on the individual directors who must learn to schedule rehearsals for characters or scenes. There is one Sunday rehearsal just before production week.

The Musical

In the fall of 2021, there will be a meeting for students interested in participating in the 2021-22 musical, “The Mystery of Edwin Drood,” (which will be happening in the Winter this year). Senior and Junior members of the Drama Club, the Director, Assistant Director, Vocal Director, Lighting Director and Choreographer will speak to all interested students about the Drama Club, answer questions and generally try to make new students feel comfortable about the audition process for the Musical.

The next day, everyone interested in auditioning for the musical meets at 3:30 in the auditorium. The choice of musical is revealed and the plot is explained and acting audition pieces are given to the students who  wish to audition for a featured or leading role. If a student simply wants to be in the ensemble, then they need not take part in the acting auditions, This is the only optional audition. Then, the Vocal Director teaches the students the different audition pieces for the general ensemble, featured and leading roles. This meeting usually last until 5:15.

The following day is a repeat of the previous meeting, in case there are students who were not able to attend the first one or if students want to review the vocal pieces or to ask the Director clarifying questions concerning characters or procedures.

The third day is usually dedicated to vocal auditions. This audition is required of all interested students. The students have a chance to warm up, ask questions and go over their chosen pieces for a half an hour. The students will audition. This usually lasts about 90 minutes. Once a student has auditioned, they may leave. If someone has to leave early for one reason or another, they may request to audition early.

The fourth day is actung auditions. This is only for those students who are trying out for featured or leading roles. Again, auditions will begin by 4:00 and last until 5:30.

The fifth day is traditionally for dance auditions. Everyone is required to participate in this audition as well. Students are instructed to wear comfortable clothing and shoes, such as some sort of sneaker. Flip flops or sandals are not allowed. Everyone will work together with the Choreographer to learn a short routine for at least an hour before the auditions begin. This audition lasts until 5:30.

The next day, the cast list is posted and the season begins. Rehearsal schedules are posted each Monday morning by 7:30. Rehearsals last from 3:30-5:30. Individual schedules depend on the song, the dance number, the scene or the role that is being rehearsed.  For example, a member of the ensemble might meet on Monday from 3:30-4:30, not on Tuesday, but again on Wednesday from 4:30-5:30. It simply depends on what needs work when.

There are Sunday rehearsals from 1:00-4:00. These rehearsals are very important because this is when we teach new material, review scenes, or run the show. Dress Rehearsals are the Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday before the show. Sunday is the first rehearsal with the orchestra, microphones and complete lighting. It can run a little past 4:00, but we try to keep to our schedule so that students can go home and rest. The show will  have three performances: February 16th-18th at 7 pm.

The Three Act Play

Each Spring, the Drama Club presents a full-length play. This could be considered the ‘varsity” show because the size of the cast will depend on the chosen play. So, in fact, there are often cuts. The informational meeting for this production will be announced. Once the season begins the rehearsal schedules are posted each Monday. Rehearsals are from 3:30-5:30. There is one Sunday rehearsal before production week. 

Technical, construction, costume, lighting and sound crews

We are happy to welcome anyone being in the “behind the scenes” aspects of the theater. Students will be taught how to build sets, hang and adjust lights, run a sound board and work backstage during shows. During the Musical, we usually have construction and technical sessions on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings from 6:00-8:00. Students come for as long as they can for any day that’s good for them.