It has been awhile, we have been so busy with all the projects we’ve been up to, there has been no time to write!
Today I want to brag about my Tech Theatre class. In the past my Tech Theatre classes and filled with student just wanting to fulfill their fine arts requirement and easily as possible. This year, while it is probably the same mentality, the students in this class are far more motivated.
We just finished a project where they made the furniture for my One Act play “The Crucible.” This means they are working with wood, saws, drills and more. Once everything was taught to them, the groups did an amazing job building the intense furniture. Some were able to follow plans, but others I tortured even more and they had to create plans from a photo.
In a class of 22, the students worked well together and made the best furniture I’ve seen made at HHS for years. They far outdid my stage crew members in excellence this year.
They all split up into 5 groups, 2 made benches, 1 group made a table and the last two had to figure out how to make stools which out any plans. With some altering to fit the needs of a puritan play, they all created great works of art.
“So we are pretending to be Amish with power tools?” a student asks me.
“Yes, it has to look as beautiful as if the Amish made it, but we get to cheat.” I laugh with them. It was the running joke in that class last week.
After the pieces were built and sanded down smoothly, the whole class got a lesson in staining. It was a beautiful day, we dragged everyone outside, donned old clothing, gloves, and masks and stained away, letting the sun dry it as we went. It’s easy to mess up stain, but these Tech Theatre kids are hard workers who expect perfection, it’s a fun 2nd hour every day because of this.
Our finished product! This furniture will be seen all over the state, as we take the One Act “The Crucible” to competitions throughout this fall. I hope the set will be a hit!
Act Out 