You never know what to expect when you step into a new theatre. Will you like it here? Will your coworkers be collaborative? Will there be challenges to the building? What will the crew be like? How will the schedule be? I have always spent my first days at a new theatre carefully combing through these questions in order to see where I best fit in an organization. At St. John’s it was different: I didn’t have a few days.

 

My first days on campus went quickly, packed with learning the administrative logistics while quickly designing the sets for the first productions of the year and ordering needed supplies to start building out the first production, The Three Musketeers. Immediately I learned that not only were the facilities amazing, a rarity when producing theatre, but also my coworkers were all immensely collaborative, creative, and hardworking. It seemed to me that everyone in the school community, staff, students, and teachers, were kind and respectful while working hard on their individual projects.

 

The week went on and we kept moving. I planned the first scenic build day for Johnnycake. Having been warned to plan as much as possible, I planned a full list that included building a huge part of the set (something I didn’t expect to get close to finishing on the first day with crew) and a few smaller projects in case we ran out of work or there were more students than expected. That morning we had a huge group of about 30 students and jumped in. While some of the crew heads were training new students on equipment, others were cutting wood, others building stairs or platforms, others placing scenery that had just been built. I walked around trying to meet each student and help those who needed it, answering questions and demonstrating what needed to be done. Two and a half hours into the workday and I was amazed. Not only had we completed the list, but I had added more to this list, and we had completed that too. Many of these students had spent the day using new skills and working together toward a goal. As the workday wound down we saw the physical representation of that work and we were proud.

 

That first day of crew was a foreshadowing to my experience at St. John’s this year, because not only had I answered all of the questions I was asking, I had more than that: passionate and hardworking students who care about doing good work, making good art, and being good to each other. This is something that is reinforced through each class I teach, crew I run, or show we produce, and I feel confident I can answer that first question from the top of this reflection.

 

“Will you like it here at St. John’s?” Yes, I think I will.

–Thomas Murphy, Theater Manager/Technical Director

 

US Students Participate in TPSMEA All-Region and All-State Choirs

The SJS Upper School Choral Department is pleased that numerous students were chosen to participate in this year’s TPSMEA All-Region and All-State Choirs. TPSMEA (Texas Private School Music Educators Association) consists of more than 50 private schools from all over the state.

 

Students wishing to be considered for the TPSMEA choirs submit audition recordings in October. Students whose recordings place high enough are invited to participate in one of three TPSMEA Region Choirs. The top recordings from each regional choir are then considered for All-State Choir. Of the many hundreds of students who submit auditions, 200 are invited to participate in the All-State Choir.

 

This year, 16 Upper School students were invited to participate in the TPSMEA. Region 3 Choir: Lauren Aguilar, Jack Aitken, Leah Beach, Natalie Brown, Sydney Chon, Lindsay Frankfort, Karli Fisher, Jenny Green, Sophia Groen, Meridian Monthy, Abigail Poag, Casey Propst, Grace Rustay, Josh Siegel, Gabrielle Solymosy, Caroline Thames, and Julian Westerfield.

 

Seven students – Katina Christensen, Jenny Green, Sophia Groen, Abigail Poag, Casey Propst, Gabrielle Solymosy, and Julian Westerfield – were invited to participate in the TPSMEA All-State Choir. Congratulations to the students! What a prestigious accomplishment!

 

Middle School Studio Play: Charlotte’s Web

Thursday, February 20, 4:30 p.m.
Friday, February 21, 4:30 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.
Black Box Theater

 

St. John’s Middle School presents Charlotte’s Web adapted by Joseph Robinette. Featuring all the beloved characters from the well-loved children’s book by E.B. White, audiences of all ages will fall in love with Charlotte and see what it is to be a true friend.

 

Featuring performances from Class 6 students Reese Williams, Janai Campbell, Caroline Thompson, Raka Agrawal, Andrew Christensen, Eliza Dorros, Kate Leibman, Zain Imam, Henry Ordonez, Sonia Chilukuri, Jae Wykoff, Finley Watt, Gracey Crawford, Lachlan McFarland, Caroline Cruz, Josie Kelly, and Begona Zorrilla.

 

The production is stage managed by Upper School student Noelle Alexander. Tickets may be purchased at the door or online via credit card by clicking here. Seating is general admission and ticket cost is $13. As seating is very limited in the Black Box Theatre, please consider purchasing your tickets in advance.

 

US Musical: Mamma Mia!

Thursday, March 5, 7:30 p.m.
Friday, March 6, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, March 7, 2:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

Lowe Theater

 

Dust off your platform shoes, grab the sequins and find your inner Dancing Queen! Sophia decides to invite her dad to her wedding, but there’s just one problem... it could be one of three men! Featuring songs from ABBA such as Super Trooper, Mamma Mia, and, of course, Dancing Queen. Fun for the whole family, you are sure to laugh, maybe cry and certainly dance along in your seats with Mamma Mia!

 

The St. John’s production of Mamma Mia! features two separate casts in the leads and ensemble roles. Performances are Thursday, March 5, Friday, March 6, and Saturday, March 7 at 7:30 p.m., as well as a Saturday, March 7 matinee at 2:00 pm. Tickets may be purchased at the door or online via credit card by clicking here. Seating is reserved and tickets are $13.

 

Kantorei Gives Annual Recital

Tuesday, March 31, 7:00 p.m.
Stasney Hall

 

Kantorei will give their annual concert on Tuesday, March 31, at 7:00 p.m., in Stasney Hall. The first half of the program will be a series of solo performances by individual Kantorei members with accompanist, Donald Doucet, designed to showcase the talented solo voices that make up the choir.

 

Kantorei as a whole will perform the second half of the concert using music from their repertoire for this school year, which also serves as the program content for their concert tour of Germany and Switzerland this June. The literature will include music by Ernest Bloch, Robert Franz, Josef Rheinberger, and Ludwig Senfl, as well as African-American Spirituals and American folk music. Admission is free.

 

ISAS Fine Arts Festival 2020

Thursday–Saturday, April 2–4
Holland Hall School, Tulsa, Oklahoma

St. John’s art students will take to the skies this spring when they fly to Tulsa, Oklahoma for the 2020 ISAS Fine Arts Festival. Holland Hall is hosting the three-day festival this year. Over 30 ISAS schools will take over the campus with dance, theater, music, and art showcased by the visiting schools.

 

The SJS Visual Arts program will bring six students to exhibit their artwork at the ISAS Fine Arts Festival 2020 in the festival exhibition. Due to the fact that St. John’s will be flying to Tulsa, the artwork will be packed up and shipped ahead of time to Holland Hall for the festival. Upon arrival, art students will install their work for the three day exhibit. While there, students can take part in many hands-on art workshops and will have their work critiqued by a professional artist.

 

This year’s ISAS visual art contingency includes Aatiqah Aziz, who will be exhibiting her ceramic work created in Studio Art II, and Gabe de la Cruz, who will add his ceramic work to the sculpture display. Matthew Samson-Williams from Digital Applications will be showcasing a new film, and Max Stith, Sydney Chon and Michelle Cai will display drawings, prints and paintings created as students of the 2D Studio, Architecture and Studio II classes.

 

A small group of Upper School Jazz Band students will perform at Coffee House. The Coffee House Band, which will perform pieces selected by the students in the group, is led by Class 12 student Mark Trautner (supervised by Mr. Parrish). The Jazz Band students participating are Ellie Eikenburg, Bo Farnell, Norah Feldman, Will Goodgame, Lily Pesikoff, Marina Ring, Mark Trautner, Luke Westmark, and Josh Siegel.

 

Scenes and Monologues is an ever-changing theatrical event at St. John’s School. This year will feature scenes from various contemporary plays, to be directed by Ms. Cordes. Actors for the event include Noelle Alexander, Brianna Baskin, Travis Bouchard, Lindsay Frankfort, Alejandro Garza, Noura Jabir, Marina Ring, Ava Steely, Thalie Waters, Tanner Watson, and Julian Westerfield.

 

The One-Act Play of 2020, I and You by Lauren Gunderson, asks us to let down our walls a little as we get to know each other and, oddly enough, includes some poetry by Walt Whitman. The role of Anthony will be played by James Redding and the role of Caroline will be played by Nicole Doyle; Brianna Baskin will stage manage.

 

Middle School Play: Stronger Than Strong! Great American Tall Tale Heroines

A Comedy by Brian Guehring
Thursday, April 2, 4:30 p.m.
Friday, April 3, 7:00.p.m.
Lowe Theater

 

St. John’s Middle School proudly presents Stronger Than Strong! Great American Tall Tale Heroines. The play, written by Brian Guehring, opens with a ballyhoo—actors running up and down the aisle to drum up excitement and anticipation for the upcoming medicine show. The famous Doctors Wellington have arrived in this small town at the turn of the last century to sell their amazing strength elixir to the population. The Doctors Wellington and their troupe of amazing actors first tell the audience how Dr. J.M. Wellington (in search of ingredients to make the strength elixir) meets a young Tennessee gal who became the rip-roarin’, gater wrasslin’ Sally Ann Thunder Ann Whirlwind Crockett. Dr. M.J. Wellington meets Annie Christmas, a young New Orleans girl who became a keelboating legend with the strength to beat up 1,000 men and to haul her keelboat down and up the Mississippi River. Dr. J.J. Wellington gets the final ingredient from the Wild West after meeting the catfish-riding, bronco-busting legendary cowgirl, Slue-Foot Sue. Using ingredients from each of these three heroines, the doctors create an elixir so you, too, can be as strong as these tall tale legends!

 

The cast of students from Classes 7 and 8 includes Cal Bechtol, Adrian Castillo, Jackie Chapman, Henry Chiao, Virginia Carolyn Crawford, Amelia Earle, Zia Falasha, Jack Faulk, Jacob Green, Luke Harrison, Elizabeth Hay, Rayna Kim, Diya Kodgire, Lexi Lang, Tycho Larsen, Kristen Lee, Penelope Macpherson, Julia Mickiewicz, Talia Musher, Avery Vaughan, Addison Vine, Lauren Vo, Dayton Voorhees, Aidan Xu and Serina Yan.