The West Orange High School Theater Arts Program invites students to explore acting as both a deeply human experience and a refined technical craft. Through a progressive sequence of courses, students build self-confidence, creativity, collaboration skills, and a rich understanding of performance—on stage and on camera.

Our program helps students grow as artists and as people by emphasizing:

• Creative expression and intuition
• Technical acting training and stage skills
• Collaboration, ensemble building, and behind-the-scenes roles
• Real-world performance experiences in both theater and film

Courses are designed to build on one another, offering opportunities for students of all experience levels, from curious beginners to passionate performers.

Course Sequence

Theater Arts I: Foundations of Acting

A dynamic introduction to performance. Students explore:

• Improvisation, ensemble-building, and stage confidence
• Monologues and introductory scene work
• Theater history and vocabulary
• Physical and vocal warm-ups
• An overview of behind-the-scenes roles

This course builds stage presence, public speaking skills, and a sense of creative risk-taking that students can carry into all areas of life.

Acting Principles

For students ready to go deeper. Building on Theater I, this course explores:

• Techniques from legendary actors and directors: Stanislavski, Meisner, Adler, Hagan, Strasberg, and more
• In-depth scene and character analysis
• Voice, speech, and movement for the actor
• Emotional memory, breath support, and concentration
• Basic directing skills through assistant directing assignments
• Introduction to on-camera acting

Students rehearse and perform a variety of contemporary and classical scenes and begin to develop their own artistic voice.

Advanced Theater: Production & Performance

The program culminates in this hands-on, fully immersive course. Students apply their training to:

• Produce and perform a student-led play production in the fall
• Take on theater production roles including:
  • Director, Stage Manager, Costumer, Set Designer, Lighting/Sound Designer, and more
• Collaborate to create a 4-minute short film in the spring as part of the Ten Day Film Challenge, where students write, direct, shoot, and edit a film on school grounds in just 10 school days
  

This course combines artistic leadership, teamwork, and technical skill, preparing students for college-level theater programs, film schools, or careers in the creative arts.

Check out our Theater Curriculum