"The stage is not merely the meeting place of all the arts, but is also the return of art to life."

~ Oscar Wilde

The WS/FCS Theatre Arts Education Curriculum is the result of the collaborative efforts of licensed theatre arts specialists and is strictly aligned with the North Carolina Standard Course of Study. Demographic diversity is the norm in our school system; therefore, theatre arts education provides opportunities for exploring talents and developing useful life skills for all students.

The Theatre Arts Curriculum implementation allows students to explore the art regardless of experience, social status, cultural background or special needs. We recognize the many ways theatre arts education can provide avenues to address various learning styles and critical modes of thinking and learning. Therefore, it can help students develop a deeper appreciation and understanding of other content areas. The arts in general have the power to motivate and improve learning retention through their multi-sensory approach to facilitating learning. In this curriculum model, the concepts, processes, and values of theatre are explored through a process driven approach which focuses on studying and exploring history, world cultures, production, aesthetics, and criticism. Students learn to interpret and derive meaning from works of theatre through reading, writing, viewing, creating, sharing, presenting, and performing. Through the collaborative nature of theatre, students develop an understanding and respect for the abilities and efforts of both themselves and others. We in the WS/FCS believe that theatre arts also contributes to the development of the whole student, particularly when it integrates with other content areas. The goal is to develop well-rounded, confident students who will become strong contributors to our society.

Students who have not taken Theatre Arts from Kindergarten through 8th grade, but who have had extensive experience in WSFCS Summer Enrichment program, community theatre, private lessons or who belong to a drama or musical theatre class in a studio, may apply to be placed out of Beginning Theatre into Intermediate Theatre on entering 9th grade.

The assessment will be done at all high schools by the Theatre Arts teacher. Every school will use the same assessment, which consists of THREE ELEMENTS:

1. A portfolio, with a resume .

2. A written assessment based on the essential standards of Beginning Theatre taken from the Common Core adopted by North Carolina

3. An audition, consisting of TWO contrasting monologues, one written before 1900 and one written after 1900. The total length of time for these monologues should be longer than 2 minutes.

ALL STUDENTS WHO WILL BE AUDITIONING ARE REQUIRED TO CONTACT THE THEATRE ARTS TEACHER AT THEIR HIGH SCHOOL FOR DETAILS.