Director, Drama Department: Ms. Nicole Thompson
Room: OAR
Phone: 310-378-8471 ext. 43237
[email protected]
Step into the Spotlight with our award-winning Drama Department. Offering courses in both Drama and Musical Theater, our Theatre Arts classes help to build confidence, creativity, and communication skills. Beyond the classroom, our Drama Department offers a wide range of performance opportunities, including two mainstage productions, musical theater showcases, theatre festivals, ComedySportz, and more! Interested in working backstage? Join Stage Production and work with professional mentors in scenic design, lighting, sound, and costumes. For more info, visit www.pvhsdrama.com
Nicole Thompson is thrilled to be the head of the Drama program here at Palos Verdes High School. Named 2017 Educator of the year, Nicole holds a BA in Dramatic Arts from the University of California, Santa Barbara, a teaching credential in Drama/English from San Diego State University, and has trained at New York University’s CAP21 Musical Theatre Conservatory. Prior to teaching at PVHS, she taught in San Diego at the Coronado School of the Arts, the La Jolla Playhouse, and the Old Globe Theatre. Her directing credits include Palos Verdes High School’s award winning productions of Pippin (John Raitt Awards for Youth (JRAY) for Best Ensemble) and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (Jerry Herman Award for Best Director and JRAY Musical of the Year).
Courses Taught:
Drama 1, Drama 2, Drama 3-4, Musical Theater, Stage Production
Course Descriptions:
Drama 1
Students will study the following:
- Team Building/Trust Exercises
- Theatre Terminology
- Movement
- Voice and Diction
- Improvisation
- Original Monologues
- Theatre History – Greek Theatre
- Theatre Etiquette
- Play/Scene Analysis – The Rainmaker & Our Town
- Contemporary Monologue
- Audition Techniques
- Intro to Musical Theatre
- Contemporary Scenes
- Intro to Technical Theatre
Drama 2
Students will study the following:
- Team Building/Trust Exercises
- Improvisation
- Contemporary Monologue (Against Type)
- Theatre Discipline
- Theatre History – Shakespeare
- Contemporary Scenes
- Fullerton Festival Prep
- Musical Theatre – Duets
- Audition Techniques – Cold Readings
- Production Roles
- Career Preparation
Drama 3-4
Students will study the following:
- Team Building
- Improvisation
- Theatre History – Arthur Miller, Tennessee Williams, August Wilson
- Audition Techniques – The College Audition
- Contemporary Monologue
- Classical Monologue
- Musical Theatre – Group #’s
- CETA & Fullerton Festival Prep
- Acting Techniques (Stanislavsky, Strasberg, Adler, Meisner)
- Directing
- One-Acts
Musical Theater
This course is designed to give students a high-performing opportunity to combine singing and dancing talents in an educational and performance setting. Students work with professional choreographers and vocal directors and receive training in singing, dancing, acting, auditioning, and musical theatre history. Each semester culminates in a production which showcases their talents and skills learned in class.
*course prerequisite – Drama 1
Performance Opportunities:
Fall Play
Spring Musical
California Educational Theater Association Festival
Fullerton College Theatre Festival
Dessert Theatre
Musical Theater Showcases
Evening of One-Acts
John Raitt Awards for Youth
Jerry Herman Awards
Extracurricular Opportunities:
Comedy Sportz | Thespian Club