CCS THEATER DEPARTMENT
The Theater Department at Cincinnati Christian Schools is an integral part of the school community. From the classroom to the stage, CCS performers expect to meet the highest standards of excellence. That standard of excellence is a trust handed down from class to class, a standard that underclassmen are eager to meet and alumni are proud to have held.
Comments from a patron:
“I want to compliment the drama and musical department for their excellent performance. The show exceeded my wildest expectations. Each and every one of the performers were in character and it came across as completely true and authentic. This was by no means an amateur performance and I mean that in the best way possible. They seemed to believe in themselves which is an sign of an outstanding director. The performance moved my daughters to tears and they have not stopped talking about it since we got home. I am someone who truly appreciates fine theater and I feel completely blessed to have attended your performance tonight. You could see all the dedication that went into this production and I commend you all. Thank you for a wonderful evening of music and drama for my daughters and I.”
Drama Courses
The drama classes offered at CCS are Performance Theater and Technical Theater. These courses may be taken each year that the student’s schedule allows.
Performance Theater is an acting class which ranges from introduction to acting to advanced training depending on the prior skills of the student. The course has regular exercises in impromptu acting, pantomime and dramatic interpretation. In addition, the course has full units of choreography, accent/dialects and stage combat.
Technical Theater class exists primarily to assist in the production of the school’s plays. This includes set construction, make-up, lighting, sound, stage crew and other duties. All Technical Theater students are required to participate in the performance of both the fall and spring shows, either as cast or crew.
The Shows
CCS performs two theatrical productions each year. The shows are cast from open auditions. All students in grades 9-12 may audition for both shows. Junior High students may audition for the spring musical and occasionally elementary students are invited to audition.
The fall show is usually smaller in scale and is performed at the Fairfield Community Theater. Auditions are held during the first week of August.
The spring production is a major Broadway musical performed at the Aronoff Center in downtown Cincinnati. These shows audition in December.
The Cappies
The CCS Theater Department is a charter member of the Critics and Awards Program of Cincinnati, the “Cappies”. The Cappies, is a program through which high school theater and journalism students are trained as critics, attend shows at other schools, write reviews, and publish those reviews in local newspapers like Cincinnati Enquirer.
At the end of the year, the student critics vote for awards that are presented at a formal Cappies Gala. Many CCS performers have been nominated for Cappies awards and several have won.
Over 30 Cappies reviews were written about our recent production of Cotton Patch Gospel. The review by Sara Swartout of Wm. H. Harrison High School was chosen by Cappies mentors as one of the best written. Here is her review of our show.
Submitted for publication to Cincinnati Enquirer:
Harmonious strains of bluegrass greeted the audience of Cincinnati Christian Schools’ production of Cotton Patch Gospel, providing accompaniment to the cast’s enthusiastic retelling of the story of Jesus.
The stage version of Cotton Patch Gospel was adapted by Tom Key and Russell Treyz from Clarence Jordan’s novel, The Cotton Patch Version of Matthew and John. Harry Chapin composed the lyrics and music for the musical, his last project prior to his death. Both pieces serve to share the story of Jesus Christ in layman’s terms, in the town of Gainesville, Georgia, rather than in Biblical jargon.
The vivaciousness with which the ensemble tackled every musical number and energy inherent in each actor’s facial expressions and line delivery set Cotton Patch Gospel apart from many high school productions. The Gainesville Cotton Patch Kids, the Blue-Grass orchestra that took on the difficult task of memorizing all their music, kept up the lively mood when required and created a more solemn tone when the show dictated.
Due to creative casting of multiple actors into constantly shifting roles, there were no specific leads, but certain members of the cast managed to stand out anyway. James Blanchard, in roles such as Jesus, Herod, Joe, Pilate, and several others, displayed powerful vocals and an unerring mastery of the Southern dialect, as well as variation in mannerisms as he switched from one role to the next. Blanchard worked particularly well with Amanda Starr-Roden, who portrayed multiple roles including, but not limited to, Mary, a mother, and a narrator. Starr-Roden was featured in many solos, excelling in ballads such as “Mama is Here” and her duet with Blanchard, “You Are Still My Boy.” Both Blanchard and Starr-Roden demonstrated appropriate mannerisms and stage presence throughout the many different situations their changing roles presented.
Brittany Mascara, Kelsey Simmons, and Daniel Waits also juggled multiple roles with aplomb. Waits’ projection and characterization in the role of Jesus was particularly notable, though he created memorable characters in Joe, Caiphas, and others as well. Waits had confidence on stage that marked him out as an invaluable member of the cast. Mascara, while portraying a narrator and member of the Twelve, stood out most clearly in the comic role of John the Baptizer. As the fast-talking evangelist, Mascara was engaging and played up the comedy in the script, but she was versatile enough to handle more serious scenes as well as multiple vocal solos. Simmons, depicting a narrator, Mary, Rock, and other roles, was similarly versatile. The role of Rock required comedic mannerisms as well as physical comedy, which Simmons balanced with more dramatic aspects of the show, such as her monologue describing the lynching of Jesus.
The technical aspects of the show augmented the performance, as well. Lighting, overseen by Corey Wells and Elizabeth MacKendrick was particularly effective in setting the mood of scenes through deviation in the brightness and color of light. The simple set did not have to be moved for scene changes, as the actors provided the movement of props with help from backstage crew members, led by stage manager Emily Gottula. This setup created a continuous show with no breaks for set changes, generating a fluidity in the performance that kept the audience’s attention.
The cast of CCS explored multiple roles and moods in their production of Cotton Patch Gospel, facing these challenges with willingness and vivacity. The ensemble enthusiastically supported whichever actors were prominent at any moment in the show, although sometimes the background noise overpowered the main actors. Using story telling techniques, the inspiring story of Gainesville’s own Jesus was smooth and enjoyable.
by Sara Swartout of Wm. H. Harrison High School
For more information about the Cappies visit: http://www.cappies.com/cin/