Fall 2016: "Much Ado Out West!"
The show that brought us the cactus meme returns! Students learned the ins and outs of Shakespeare's "Much Ado About Nothing" through text analysis and comparisons between a field trip to see a live production performed by the drama department at UCSB and the famous film version by Kenneth Branagh. Students had a question and answer session with the college students to compare notes and gain inspiration on the creation of their own characters. This fall saw many fresh new faces in the form of eager first-time eighth graders and a strong talent base of new seventh graders - and, for the first time in memory - an all female-crew! (A delightful touch to the play's themes of challenging the patriarchy!) |
Spring 2017: "The Legend of Zorro"
Another collaboration with State Street Ballet's Library Dances brought us a return to the dramatic with "The Legend of Zorro," based on the famed Spanish crimefighter of the Old West. Students explored the history of Old California, long before it became part of the United States. A two-act production topping out at just over two hours, this show was the second-longest show Mr. Lashua had produced at SBJHS, topped only by the inaugural production of "No Mother To Guide Her." Despite the enormous amount of lines, blocking, and choreography to learn, the cast and crew shined through and presented a fantastic blend of romance, intrigue, swordfighting, ballet, tango, folklorico, and more! |