APR's 1st Musical is finally here!

      I can't believe it. 12 years ago we started our little theatre program here at Academy of the Pacific Rim in an empty small cafeteria room, hand sewn black curtains, some rented lights and a bare floor.
Every year we have grown our program: new plays, student directors, our ZIPS program (Zoom into productions by students), and developing student leaders and theatre enthusiasts with our Thespian Society.
Thursday night, we make history once again. Despite not having any music or choral classes at APR, we are opening our 1st ever musical production! With the talented assistance of Bil Mooney-McCoy directing our students on vocals, and our amazingly talented student stage managers, scene artists, lighting and sound techs, and the beautiful voices of our students, this show is ready to open!
    The voices will amaze you, the story will delight you, and you'll be singing along by the end.

Join us as APR makes history:

Once On This Island, Jr.

Thursday and Friday at 7pm and then Saturday at 5pm

Tickets are only $3 for students and $5 for adults

At Academy of the Pacific Rim: One Westinghouse Plaza, Hyde Park

See you at the show!

Off to NYC!

I can't believe it's that time of year -- time for our HS Thespian troupe to head off to New York City! Time to take in the sights and sounds of Broadway! I look forward to this trip every two years as a chance to get out and explore the life and excitement of professional theatre for my students, and I get just as excited with the anticipation of the trip as my students do. :-)
One of the great things about this bi-yearly trip is that we flip-flop the itineraries, so that our HS students get to experience a full range of the theatre world over the course of both trips. (On the last trip, for example, we went to Ellis Island, toured backstage at the Apollo Theater and a college tour of NYU, went to the Top of the Rock, and visited Madame Tousseaud's Wax museum -- in addition to 3 Broadway shows and awesome professional theatre workshops, of course!)
On this year's trip, highlights include: visiting the Tenement Museum and exploring the Lower East Side, the Guggenheim Modern Art museum, backstage tours at Radio City and NBC Studios, tours to Julliard & Columbia Universities, and 3 more Broadway shows (different ones from the last trip, of course). This year, students will also prepare & perform their own original scenes, incorporating stage combat techniques that they will learn from professionals in NY, too!

Only a few days before departure and we can't wait!

Annual Haunted House & Halloween Carnival!

Don't miss this annual event at APR!

Friday, Oct. 26 at 6-8pm

Carnival games for kids of all ages and a haunted house to scare even the bravest of souls.

A great Thespian tradition for the entire family!

I can't believe we've been doing this event for so many years now. It started with just a few games and some haunted rooms on the upper floors of our small school. It's now expanded to an annual event with over 10 games, a huge haunted house tour, and great food to enjoy, too. All made possible by the creativity of our Thespian troupe and the generous help and support of the Thespian Booster families! I am so proud of this fantastic Thespian tradition for APR.