PVI Theater Boosters: The Producers
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Welcome to the virtual home of “The Producers”, the Paul VI Theater Boosters. We’d like to show you around and tell you what we’re all about.
The Fine Arts program is an integral part of the academic and social fabric of PVI, and theater is a cornerstone of the program. Through it, the students experience creative drama first-hand, including dramatic role play, story enactment and viewing live theater. They develop their imaginations, self confidence, memory and reading skills and learn to effectively express their emotions and comfortably work in group settings.
We liken the theater program to a steam powered train. The engine is Mrs. Katherine Miller, director of the program and teacher of acting in the Fine Arts Department. The freight cars are the PVI Players, whose journey of growth and development are the raison d'être for the train. The coal car is the Producers organization, continually fueling the train as it proceeds on its many excursions.
"The Producers" is the primary support group for the PVI theater program, and a well embedded part of the operations. We assist in many ways such as supervising and helping with set building, sewing costumes, decorating the lobby for the plays, helping with fundraising efforts and the concessions stand, and preparing food and baking goodies for our hard working cast and stage crew. There is a tremendous team spirit among the Producers. And why wouldn’t there be? We are enabling this wonderful educational experience for our children, and they sincerely appreciate it. As they move through their teenage years, there are fewer and fewer ready-made opportunities to bond with them in their busy daily lives. Working with them in the Theater program is definitely an outstanding one. So please skim the list below for ways in which you can contribute. We can always use more help!!! And you’ll be glad you did. We’re fond of saying, “The fun never ends!”
We hope that you will show your support by becoming a member of the Producers. Click on this link for the form.
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
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Building the Set
- Help supervise kids and build the set!
Concessions
- Bake goodies.
- Help set-up / clean – up.
- Sell concessions during intermission.
Ticket Sales
- Help sell tickets during any of the performances: Friday Night, Saturday Night, Saturday Understudy Cast, and Sunday Matinee.
Flower Sales
- Help sell flowers, candy bags, and “Star-Grams” during performances.
Lobby Decorations
- Decorate lobby with play-themed decorations.
Chaperone Rehearsals
- Come in during rehearsals to help watch the kids.
Saturday Meal
- Bring food for the kids for one of the Saturday set builds. This can be shared by two people.
Cappies Dinner
- Help supply food, serve dinner, and set-up / clean-up for the Cappies Judges Dinner.
Costumes
- Help acquire costumes for the plays
- Sewing (not required, but sometimes helpful!)
Green Room Adult Supervisor
- Supervise and help kids organize and keep the Green Room clean.
Publicity
- Take pictures during rehearsals and other PVI Players’ events.
- Distribute play announcements to local church bulletins and local retirement homes.
- Distribute flyers to local grocery stores, etc.
FALL PRODUCTION
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What’s “Up the Down Staircase”?
By: Kathleen LeBlanc (2008)
The Paul VI fall presentation of the play “Up the Down Staircase” the weekend of November 16th thrilled everyone. This play is a mix of comedy and drama, and appeals to all different kinds of audiences. It takes place around the early 1960s in a tough New York City neighborhood.
Charlotte Schaner (2008) starred as Sylvia Barrett, a young English teacher who has just started her teaching career in beat up Calvin Coolidge High School. She would love nothing more than to help her students achieve their full potential and show them how to be the best students they can be. The school becomes an instant challenge for Sylvia as she quickly sees deep problems arising with her new students. There are the typical school problems, but many of the students face difficult lives outside the classroom. Sylvia wants to help the kids work through their tough situations, and guide them to become strong, independent, young men and women. In the end, Sylvia teaches these children, and her students also teach her.
Mrs. Katherine Miller, the producer of the play, anticipated that this show would be a smash hit with the students. It has been a challenge for student director, John Curry (2008), to direct such a complicated play, but he proved to be up to the task. She chose this particular work to try something set apart from past comedies. “I am always pleased with our plays, but it is time for something different!” said Mrs. Miller. “Up the Down Staircase” represents the reality of a new teacher being thrown into somber surroundings and having to deal with very serious situations.
The diverse cast was a mix of all different grades and attitudes. Mrs. Miller says this helped to make the cast interesting. The actors brought their own qualities to the production and made each character unique. From the tough talking assistant principal to the homecoming beauty queen, everyone surely saw students and teachers they recognize in the play.
Fiona Torres (2008), who played Beatrice Schachter, said, “We worked really well together, it’s like we are one big family.” She also said that students who saw the play were able to relate some of their school experiences with those students they see in the show.
“Every character was strong and interesting whether they were speaking or not. You are watching them live.” said Mrs. Miller.
Not surprisingly, the reviews have been very favorable. “The ensemble of students brought energy and life to the show. Though there was mostly comedy, there were moments when each student had his or her own life-changing moment. Their spirit really added to the production”, said Leslie Berkowitz, a Cappies critic (www.showbizradio.net). Another Cappies review in the Fairfax Times lauded many of the individual actors, the entire ensemble, and even the lighting (http://www.fairfaxtimes.com).
Congratulations to Mrs. Miller, the entire cast (both main and understudy), the Producers and the many parents that supported this complex undertaking.
SPRING PRODUCTION
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Congratulations to both casts of You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown! The show was fantastic and thoroughly enjoyed by all. Thank you to all families, friends, teachers, faculty, staff, students and community members who came to see the show. And a special BIG THANK YOU to the incredible crew who worked so hard to make this show a huge success. Be sure to see the photos under Photo Galleries. They say it all!
UPCOMING EVENTS
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We now invite you to see our One Acts. These are one act plays directed by PVI Drama Students and performed by PVI Players. The One Acts will be presented on Friday, May 23, at 7:30 pm. Donations gladly accepted!
Summer Theater Camp July 14 – 18: Mrs. Katherine Miller, PVI Theater Director, presents a Theater Camp each summer. The morning class is for rising grades 6, 7, and 8 and teaches the basics of acting and theater. This class is for beginners and experienced students alike. PVI students who have taken advanced acting classes assist Mrs. Miller. There is a separate afternoon class for high school students and, at the end of the week, they will perform a One Act play. The Theater Camp fills up FAST every summer. If you are interested, please complete the registration form.
Be sure to check back with us in September for information on our fall production.
Thank you, and remember ….
PVI Players ~ Sanity is Optional!
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PVI PLAYERS
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“All the world’s a stage”, especially for the PVI Players. Over the past few years, the school has deservedly earned a reputation for excellence in theater. The PVI Players have honed their creative skills and become one of the finest acting groups in the area. With the outstanding support of the school and the parent community, well over one hundred students will get to experience the hard work and exhilaration of producing several fully staged and costumed performances each year.
It is noteworthy that the overarching philosophy that pervades our theater program is that the students do as much of the work as possible for each production. With plenty of help and expert coaching, they get to direct the play, participate in set construction and costume design, execute all of the stage crew operations, prepare the publicity and even do the fundraising. There is no question about it: this is all about the students.
INTERNATIONAL THESPIAN SOCIETY
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PVI operates a very active chapter of the International Thespian Society (ITS), the world’s largest honor society for theater arts students. ITS is the student division of the Educational Theatre Association founded in 1929 to promote school programs. ITS is the only society to honor secondary school students for their outstanding work. Membership is granted for the performance of meritorious work which meets the society’s guidelines. Students become members by earning points for their work. Any student who has participated in at least two productions for a total of one hundred hours of work is eligible for membership. ITS provides the students excellent encouragement and opportunities for recognition. The President of the PVI Chapter for 2007-2008 is Michael Mahoney.
“PRODUCERS” OFFICERS FOR 2007-2008
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Betty Mahoney, President
Jean Johnson, Vice President
Matt Reynolds, Secretary
Lisa Whiting, Treasurer
Thank you for visiting us. Do come back soon!
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