PAST UPPER SCHOOL THEATRE ARTS SEASONS
2020-2021 Season
SD Theatre Arts Presents: The Woman in White
San Domenico Theatre Arts is proud to present Wilkie Collin’s masterful suspense story, The Woman in White, adapted for SD’S production by director Jennifer Grimes.
The Woman in White was inspired by a Victorian criminal case, and revolves around the dark side of human nature, greed, the hidden past, and identity. Characters are not who they seem to be, identities can be lost, characters may not even know their own true identity. The story begins with uncertainly, and the questions mount as the tale progresses: Who is the woman in white? What happened to Laura Fairlie? What does Anne Catherick know? What is Sir Percival Glyde hiding? Why does Count Fosco have to conceal his identity? Our host, Singent Doyle St. Claire, will guide you into the production.
Please join us for our first virtual production!
Performances are November 12, 13, and 14 at 7:30 pm.
Click here for more information and to watch the virtual production live.
2019-2020 SEASON
THE SAN DOMENICO UPPER SCHOOL MUSICAL "INTO THE WOODS"
The Tony award winning "Into the Woods" is a musically brilliant, funny and heart breaking show that takes everyone's favorite storybook characters and brings them together for a timeless, yet relevant, adventure...and a rare modern classic.
A Baker and his wife are desperate to have a child; Cinderella despairs of missing the King's ball; Jack’s mother sends him off to sell his best friend (an ancient, milk-less cow) so that they can eat. When the Baker and his wife learn that they cannot have a child because of a Witch's curse, the two set off on a journey into the shadowy woods beyond their home. Everyone's wish is granted, but the consequences of their actions return to haunt them later with disastrous results.
With music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by James Lapine
Directed & Choreographed by Erica Smith
Musical Direction by Denise Wharmby
Additional Choreography by Alyssa Carnahan & Doree Clark
2018-19 SEASON
SD Upper School Presents: "RENT" (School Edition): The Musical
Based loosely on Puccini's La Boheme, Jonathan Larson's Rent follows a year in the life of a group of impoverished young artists and musicians struggling to survive and create in New York's Lower East Side, under the shadow of HIV/AIDS in the nineties. These young bohemians are all unique, flawed, and lovably human, as they deal with the extreme highs and lows of new adulthood. How they strive to grow and respect each other's differences across huge caverns of disagreements (ultimately caring for each other as a community who "measures in love") provides the narrative thread to this groundbreaking, rocking and exuberant musical.
2017-18 SEASON
The San Domenico Upper School presents"Almost, Maine" by John Cariani
What makes people fall in love? What makes people fall out of love? "Almost, Maine" follows nine stories, all taking place on a cold February night in the mythical town of Almost, in the state of Maine. Underneath the Northern Lights, the residents fall in and out of love in unexpected, sometimes poignant, often hilarious, and always magical ways.
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The San Domenico Upper School presents the groundbreaking show that changed musical theatre forever:
A Chorus Line is the funny, heartbreaking, and refreshingly honest portrayal of one day in the lives of seventeen dancers, all vying for a spot in the "chorus line" of a Broadway musical. Some of them are just breaking into the "biz" while others are veteran dancers looking for one last job before it's too late for them to dance anymore. After the first round of cuts, Zach, the director and choreographer, asks each dancer to speak about themselves. Discomfort opens into revelation, confession leads to redemption, and within the bright, outwardly homogeneous chorus, the audience begins to see each dancer's individuality.
Based on real Broadway dancers' stories, A Chorus Line was the "Hamilton" of the 1970's, breaking away from the standard big blockbuster show and creating a different model entirely. From Cassie, the former star who begs for the "music and the mirror and the chance to dance," to Val, a small-town girl with a brand-new big-town body, to Paul, whose injury forces all of the dancers to look at the possibility of not being able to dance any more, the show examines what it takes to dream big and make that dream a reality, whatever the consequences, finally concluding that it's "What I did for Love".
Click here to view the photo gallery!
2016-2017 SEASON
Footloose, The Musical
Directed by Erica Smith
Musical Direction by Denise Wharmby
Choreography by Rinabeth Apostol
One of the most explosive movie musicals of the eighties bursts onto the live stage with exhilarating results! When Ren and his mother move from Chicago to a small farming town, Ren is prepared for the inevitable adjustment period at his new high school. What he isn't prepared for are the rigorous local edicts, including a ban on dancing instituted by the local preacher, determined to exercise the control over the town's youth that he cannot command in his own home. When the reverend's rebellious daughter, Ariel, sets her sights on Ren, her roughneck boyfriend tries to sabotage Ren's reputation, with many of the locals eager to believe the worst about the new kid. The heartfelt story that emerges is of a father longing for the son he lost and of a young man aching for the father who walked out on him. To the rockin' rhythm of its Oscar and Tony-nominated top 40 score (the soundtrack album reached number one on the Billboard charts and has sold over 15 million copies!) and augmented with dynamic new songs for the stage musical, this show features a huge cast of characters and a story that moves and inspires!
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2015-2016 SEASON
CHICAGO, The Musical
Book/Music by John Kander and Fred Ebb
Co-Author/original Choreography by Bob Fosse
Directed by Beth Kellermann
Maurine Dallas Watkins was a journalist and playwright who penned theatrical material while working as a reporter for the Chicago Tribune. Her most notable play, CHICAGO, was based on some real-life murder cases in the 1920's, and was later developed into a musical of the same name, garnering awards for both stage and film interpretations. We are delighted to announce that the Upper School Theatre Department will be one of the first high schools in the country awarded the performing rights to present this #1 longest-running American musical in Broadway history. Come watch us Razzle Dazzle 'em with this exciting piece of musical history. CHICAGO, The Musical, will have auditions the second week of school.
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Click here to view a slideshow of the performance!
AS YOU LIKE IT
By William Shakespeare
Directed by Jennifer Grimes
“All the world’s a stage,and all the men and women merely players,” Jaques declares famously in this joyous comedy. And the players on the stage of AS YOU LIKE IT run the gamut from the ridiculous to the sublime as Shakespeare romps through all the facets of love: Romantic, familial, and between friends. A comic masterpiece of character, situation, and wit, the play is filled with music, which will be performed live by a small ensemble and set in the 1960's. As characters flee the dangers of the court and enter the enchanting world of the Forest of Arden, some will find love, some will flee love, some will surrender to love, some will remain aloof from love, but all will emerge from the forest better for their adventures within it.
2014-2015 SEASON
Young Frankenstein
Book by Mel Brooks and Thomas Meehan, music and lyrics by Mel Brooks.
Directed by Beth Kellermann, with musical direction by Denise Wharmby and choreography by Rinabeth Apostol.
Based on the 1974 film by Mel Brooks and Gene Wilder, Young Frankenstein tells the story of an unwilling inheritor to the Frankenstein family legacy of reanimating dead bodies with a madman’s touch. Come take a hayride with a hilarious group of characters as they journey from fear to friendship in a mysterious place called Transylvania.
In celebration of San Domenico’s 50th year at this Sleep Hollow campus, we are delighted to welcome a number of very special alumni who will be returning to perform on our stage along with our current students.
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Click here to view a slideshow of the performance!
The Three Musketeers
By Peter Raby, adapted from the novel by Alexandre Dumas
Directed by Jennifer Grimes
All for one, and one for all!
The greatest swashbuckling adventure of all time and packed with swordfights, The Three Musketeers is a rollercoaster tale of honor, intrigue, love, revenge, deception, valor, friendship, heroes, heroines, villains…and the ultimate villainess.
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Click here to view a slideshow of the performance!
2013-2014 SEASON
Cabaret
The San Domenico Upper School Theatre Department is thrilled to announce information for our upcoming spring musical, CABARET. Originally performed in 1966, the musical underwent a darker, more dramatic reworking when Sam Mendes directed the 1998 revival. We are honored to be one of the last places in the United States to obtain the rights to perform this version of the show, before it once again returns to Broadway in April.
The framework (and much of the content) centers around the Kit Kat Klub and the desperate measures taken by many to escape the emerging influence of the rising Nazi party. Come to the Cabaret, old chum, and re-experience the classic songs such as "Maybe This Time", "Money", and "Willkommen" presented in our very own Klub venue!
Book by Christopher Isherwood, music by John Kander and lyrics by Fred Ebb.
Directed by Beth Kellermann, with musical direction by Denise Wharmby and choreography by Rinabeth Apostol.
***Please note: Material may not be suitable for all ages. Parental discretion is advised.
Book by Joe Masteroff
Lyrics by Fred Ebb
Music by John Kandor
Directed by Beth Kellermann
Click here to view a slideshow of the performance!
Treasure Island
San Domenico Theatre Arts is proud to present the exciting Treasure Island, based on Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic novel. Treasure Island is the ultimate pirate tale, following the swashbuckling adventures of young Jim Hawkins and the most famous pirate of all time, Long John Silver. Action-packed with swordfights, battles*, treasure, adventure, and yes, PIRATES!
Treasure Island
by Ken Ludwig
Adapted from the novel by Robert Louis Stevenson
Directed by Jennifer Grimes
Click here to view a slideshow of the performance!
2012-2013 SEASON
THE BOMB-ITTY OF ERRORS
Directed by Beth Kellermann
What happens when a show closes and a director comes in to tag the set that is still in place? Preparations occur for the debut of THE BOMB-ITTY OF ERRORS, a four-actor Ad-Rap-Tation, hip-hop theatre retelling of Shakespeare’s play. Part play, part rap concert, Bomb-itty was nominated for Best Lyrics at the Drama Desk Awards, for the Outer Critics Circle Awards, and received the Jefferson Award in Chicago and the Grand Jury Prize at the HBO US Comedy Arts Festival in Aspen.
Click here to view a slideshow of the performance!
THE COMEDY OF ERRORS
Directed by Jennifer Grimes
What happens when two sets of identical twins, separated at birth, unbeknownst to each other, end up in the same town on the same day? Comic chaos! THE COMEDY OF ERRORS is Shakespeare’s hilarious take on mistaken identity, filled with sight gags, physical comedy, lightning speed word-play, and crazy coincidences. Each role is a comic gem in ingenious romp, which will be set in 1920’s gangster-era Chicago.
Click here to view a slideshow of the performance!
"It was another grand opening for our theater program last night as the ladies wowed the audience with a masterfully presented Comedy of Errors. While the Shakespeare play is complex and tongue tying, through the assertive direction of Jen Grimes and the dedication and talent of the actresses, the audience was able to understand the twists and turns of the plot and the subtle, and sometimes not so subtle, comedy of the play. At the start, it took serious sleuthing to determine the actual student underneath each character, due to the fine costumes and chameleonic performances. We left the show completely entertained and proud of our theater students, both on and behind the stage. And we can reflect again just how lucky we are to have the masterful director and faculty, Jen Grimes, amongst us."
MONTY PYTHON’S SPAMALOT
Directed by Beth Kellermann
Musical Direction by Denise Wharmby
San Domenico Upper School presents the musical “Monty Python’s SPAMALOT” in San Domenico’s Hall of the Arts. Lovingly ripped off from the classic film comedy, Monty Python & the Holy Grail, SPAMALOT tells the legendary tale of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table, featuring a bevy of beautiful show girls and hilarious dance numbers, not to mention cows, killer rabbits, and French people.
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Click here to view a slideshow of the performance!
2011-2012 SEASON
The Drowsy Chaperone
Book by Bob Martin & Don McKellar
Music and Lyrics by Lisa Lambert and Greg Morrison
Directed by Beth Kellermann
Musical Direction by Denise Wharmby
Long before audiences would flock to see the latest production by big names of Hollywood such as Elton John, musical theatre was dominated by composer/writer duos who specialized in the art form and turned out hit after hit. The Drowsy Chaperone is a send-up of those good old days and the fans who remember them fondly. The musical is narrated by "The Man in the Chair", who entertains the audience with his memories of shows past. As he listens to songs on his record player, characters from his favorite musical invade his apartment—each of whom has a story to tell, a song to sing it in, and a hysterical personality with which to tell it.
Click here to view a slideshow of the performance!
Crimes of the Heart
By Beth HenleyWinner of the 1981 Pulitzer Prize and New York Drama Critics Circle Award.
Meet the Magrath sisters of Hazelhurst, Mississippi, whose journey is quirky, poignant, hilarious, and, ultimately, triumphant as they negotiate their way through Lonely Hearts clubs, down-in-the-dumps singing careers, and arrests for attempted murder The sisters come together at the old homestead when the youngest, Babe, is arrested for shooting her redneck husband Zachary in the stomach. The reason? “I didn’t like his looks. I just didn’t like his looks.” Lenny, the eldest, having stayed at home to take care of Old Grandaddy, frantically telegrams their sister Meg to return. When free-spirited Meg comes back from California, the sparks begin to fly as these strong-willed and somewhat eccentric women find they can no longer lie to themselves if they are ever to overcome their past. This remarkable play manages to walk a fine line depicting events which are simultaneously grim and hilarious, and is peopled with wonderful characters driven by ulterior motives. Accompanying Lenny, Meg, and Babe on their journey are: their annoying and bossy cousin, Chick; Babe’s idealistic attorney, Barnette Lloyd, who has a bone to pick with Zachary; and Doc Porter, the fiancé Meg left behind to seek stardom in California.
Click here to view a slideshow of the performance!
Eurydice
By Sarah Ruhl
Directed by Beth Kellermann
Eurydice is a beautiful tale of love, loss, and remembrance involving the imaginative and contemporary retelling of the Greek myth "Orpheus and Eurydice". The bride, Eurydice, dies on her wedding day, and her young groom travels to Hades to try to retrieve her. While she is in the underworld, Eurydice is reunited with her father, and struggles to retain the memories of all she has left behind. With memorable images of the king of the underworld riding around on a tricycle and the traditional Greek chorus replaced by three comedic stone people with very different "rock" personalities, the ebb and flow of life and loss is beautifully told in and around a pool for a set and a house made of string.
Click here to view a slideshow of the performance!
One Performance Only!
This year’s addition to the always-popular Senior-Directed One-Act Plays will be a night of lively comedy The directors, all students in Theatre Arts 4, have been busy preparing an entertaining evening of plays in a variety of comic genres. The plays are: Captive Audience, by David Ives, directed by Maite Castagnoli; The Spot, by Steven Dietz, directed by Cailin Dornbush; The Best Daddy, by Shel Silverstein, directed byMaloli Lemmen; and Moist Silly Putty, by San Domenico graduate Ariel Henry-Warren, directed by Portia Henry-Warren.
Admission is free, but donations are gratefully accepted (all donations benefit the HS participation in the 2013 Edinburgh Fringe Festival). See you there!