Norwin Theatre Club
Norwin Senior High School
251 McMahon Drive
North Huntingdon, PA 15642(724) 861-3000
Sponsor: Meghan O'Halloran
Contact: NorwinTheatreClub@yahoo.com
The Norwin Theatre Club is designed to develop communication skills and creative problem-solving strategies; to promote a positive self concept, social awareness, empathy, and an understanding of the art of performance. Students who wish to participate have many opportunities from which to choose.
SPRING MUSICAL - Norwin Theatre Club presents this year's spring musical: Curtains. Written by Kander and Ebb, the team that brought you Chicago and Cabaret, this Tony Award winning whodunit is a backstage murder mystery set in 1959's Boston. The cast and crew of a Broadway-bound musical "Robbin' Hood of the Old West" all become suspects after the the show's supremely untalented leading lady mysteriously drops dead onstage while taking her final bow to the sound of applause. The entire company comes under suspicion, and Lt. Frank Cioffi (played by Senior, Vincent Holden) of the Boston Police Department is called in to solve the homicide. Believing that the perpetrator is still in the building, he sequesters it. The Suspects include the hard-bitten lady producer, Carmen Bernstein (Senior, Sara Payne); her husband, Sidney (Senior, Shane Ingram); the show's flamboyant British director Christopher Belling (Junior, Lee Scandinaro); divorced songwriting team Aaron Fox (Senior, Josh Gongaware) and Georgia Hendricks (Junior, Kati Falk); Stage Manager Johnny Harmon (Junior, Mario Buffalini); choreographer/leading man Bobby Pepper (Junior Nick Morgan), ingénue Niki Harris (Junior, Cassia Sakmar), and ambitious chorine Bambi Bernét (Senior, Brittany Nace).
CURTAINS
Dates: March 18th, 19th and 20th - 7:00 p.m.
March 21st - 2:00 p.m.
Ticket Prices: Adults/$ 10; Students/$ 6;
$1.00 off on March 18th
For more information, click HERE.
Email your ticket requests to: NorwinTheatreClub@yahoo.com
This year's Musical Production Team includes:
Meghan O'Halloran, sponsor of Norwin Theatre Club, will produce and direct. Meghan has a BA in Theatre Arts from the University of Pittsburgh and has worked and taken classes in the local theatre community for almost 20 years. Elena Antolik will be our choreographer this year. She is the owner and director of the Elite School of Dance by Elena and has a BA in Dance and Business Management from Point Park University. John Smialowski will be our Musical Director this year. John has BA's in Chemistry and Philosophy from St. Vincent College with minors in music and theatre including post-graduate work in music and theatre at Slippery Rock University, Westminster University, Youngstown State University and the University of Pittsburgh. He is currently a private vocal coach for local students and the Director of Music & Creative Arts at Community United Methodist Church in Harrison City. Todd Leighty will return again this year as our Technical Director.
INTERNATIONAL THESPIAN SOCIETY - Norwin’s Thespian Troupe travels to the Pennsylvania State Thespian Conference in early December of each year where they are introduced to other high schools students and theatrical performances. This year the Norwin Theatre Club was recognized as “Best of the State” for their main stage musical production of “The Taffetas” and were one of ten schools from across the nation to perform in Lincoln Nebraska in June of 2007 at the National Thespian Conference.
CHRISTMAS PLAY - Late December provides the opportunity for students to participate in children’s theatre performing Christmas plays for the hundred’s of families who visit Norwin Student Council's Breakfast With Disney event each year.
NORWIN'S GOT TALENT - This year's "Norwin's Got Talent" has three categories: Vocalists, Self Accompanists, Dance. There will be a $50 prize for the winner of each category and a grand prize of $100 for the overall highest score by our three faculty judges. This year, "Norwin's Got Talent" will be held on February 5th. Tickets are $5 and can be bought at the door or from any of the performers.
ONE ACTS - This year's one acts were a success and were performed this past November at the Middle School. The event included three original works written by Vince Holden, Cassia Sakmar, Lee Scandinaro, Geof Holinger and Bella Zingarelli.
24 HOUR THEATRE FESTIVAL - This year Norwin Theatre Club will sponsor a festival where students had 24 hours to write, direct and rehearse five different One Acts. The students learned how to work productively in a theatre environment under the pressure of a very short deadline. At 7 p.m., the writers and directors hold auditions with the actors. From 8-9 p.m., the writers and directors choose who they want to work with. The writers write and work shop their One Acts based on an overall theme until 7 a.m. when the directors come back in. The writers and directors hold a "concept meeting" until 8 a.m. to discuss the story that the writer wants to tell. The writers go home and sleep while the actors and directors rehearse their plays until 7 p.m.
The performance will be held April 17th at 7:30PM. Tickets are $5 at the door.
STAGE CREW - In addition to performing and directing, students are also exposed to the technical aspects of the theater throughout the year by learning about the importance of the backstage components through participation of Stage Crew. Students build sets, work the lighting, create and maintain the costumes as well as serve as a house crew, who greet, welcome and seat guests at performances. The productions are completely student run, with a student stage manager that calls every cue.
Finally, by hiring guest artists from the Pittsburgh area to assist with productions at Norwin, students have the opportunity to work with individuals who are skilled in their fields including music directors, choreographers and sound, lighting and costumer designers.
The Norwin Theater Club proudly encourages participants to develop talents they possess both on stage and behind the scenes, while exploring and fostering the innate creativity found in all students. The many opportunities provide students the resources needed to help them take risks, develop their imaginations and learn creative problem-solving techniques associated with the performing arts.
Updated 3/4/2010