Harker dance students Karina Chen, grade 7, and Chloe Chen, grade 8, recently competed at the Hollywood Connection dance competition in Santa Clara, where they won a first place gold medal for lyrical dance in the 11-13 age group. Karina also earned the chance to receive a Hollywood makeover, while Chloe was put in the running for a special studio scholarship for a week of unlimited classes at the Millennium Dance Complex.
Both students are enrolled in Harker’s middle school dance program as members of the grades 7-8 girls dance group Showstoppers, and Karina was previously a member of Dance Fusion, the coed dance group for grades 4-6.
The Harker Conservatory opened 2016 with its Student Directed Showcase, which took place at the Blackford Theater Jan. 8-9. One of the most rigorous courses in the performing arts program, the Student Directed Showcase puts four seniors each in charge of putting on a one-act play. In addition to directing the play, the students are tasked with handling every stage of its production, from casting to promotion to visual effects.
In the aptly named “The Internet is Distract – OH LOOK A KITTEN!” directed by Mary Najibi, a student struggled to divert her attention away from the Internet’s many distractions while finishing a paper. Rachel Renteria directed Bradley Hayward’s “Selfie,” a story about high school students dealing with mounting pressures as they near the end of their senior year. “Cheating Death,” directed by Janet Lee, took audiences to a mental hospital, where patients tried to outwit the angel of death in an effort to save their friend. M.C. Smitherman directed “Final Dress Rehearsal,” which followed the cast and crew of an amateur theater group as they attempted to save their flagging production of “Cinderella.”
“The most important lesson I learned while directing was learning how to be kind while also being assertive. Into the process, I really found got into the groove of being a director by clearly vocalizing when I wanted the actors to give more or try the scene a new way,” said Najibi, also noting that being a director was “such an amazing experience and I am so honored to have had such an opportunity.”
This article originally appeared in the winter 2015 Harker Quarterly. Access the full issue, with live links, at Harker’s issuu.com page: http://issuu.com/theharkerschool/docs/harker_quarterly_winter_2015.
In fall 2009, upper school English teacher Pauline Paskali rented a van with the intention of driving to the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Ashland with four of her students. Paskali reached out to fellow English faculty member Jason Berry to see if he would go along. “’Of course!’ he said,” recalled Paskali.
Berry ended up driving all the way to Ashland and back. The students came back raving about their time at OSF, Paskali said. The following year, more than 20 students signed up. The most recent trip included 27, which is right around where Paskali would like to keep it.
“At the time, I was teaching Shakespeare,” she said, explaining the impetus for the trip. “And of course every time you teach Shakespeare, having the kids read and act out the lines makes it come alive for them, and helps them to understand what’s going on.”
Paskali thought it would be good for the students to see what Shakespeare’s words would be like when interpreted by professional actors in a professional setting: “I don’t know how much exposure some of our kids have to plays, so I think it gives them an opportunity to connect.”
The Oregon Shakespeare Festival was founded in 1935, but its beginnings go back to the Chautauqua adult education movement of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The first Chautauqua building in Ashland went up in 1893, and was later renovated to seat 1,500. It thrived for the next several years, attracting performers and speakers such as composer John Philip Sousa and politician William Jennings Bryan, according to the OSF website.
The Chautauqua building was replaced by a domed structure in 1917. It was torn down in 1933, about a decade after the Chautauqua movement fell into decline. Noting the similarities between the Chautauqua’s remaining walls and those of Elizabethan theaters, local teacher Angus L. Bowmer proposed holding a three-day festival at the site of the old Chautauqua building to coincide with Ashland’s Fourth of July festivities. The Oregon Shakespearean Festival gave its first show, a production of “Twelfth Night,” on July 2, 1935.
OSF now puts on 11 plays in its three theaters during its season, which runs from February to November. Although the works of Shakespeare are its namesake, the company has expanded to include works of other classic and contemporary playwrights. This most recent season featured the play “Sweat,” written by Lynn Nottage, whom OSF commissioned as part of its American Revolutions series of plays about decisive moments in American history.
“I can easily say that ‘Sweat’ is the best play I have ever seen,” senior Alex Henshall gushed. “Its profoundness and intelligent handling of its subject matter and the questions it raises affected me deeply.”
Kayvon Solaimanpour, grade 11, had a similar reaction. He described “Sweat” as “an amazing play about the struggles in an industrial town, jumping back and forth between 2000 and 2008. It left me thinking for a couple hours after having seen the play.”
In addition to contemporary plays, the students also enjoyed seeing Shakespeare come to life on stage.
“Before this journey, I knew little about Shakespeare and wasn’t super interested in his works,” Henshall said. “I had very seldom seen or read any of his works, mostly because I noticed a very real language barrier that hampered my enjoyment of his plays.”
Henshall, who has gone on the weekend trip for four years, saw rsthand how much can change when Shakespeare’s words move from the page to the stage.
“The performances and the ways in which the directors envision their productions of Shakespeare’s timeless plays always entertain me,” Henshall said. “I love asking myself, ‘I wonder what setting the director of ‘Antony and Cleopatra’ will use? What will the costumes be like? Will there be a modern interpretation or a classical flair?’”
“The ways in which the plays are presented affects the way in which you engage with them,” Paskali said.
In Paskali’s experience, the sojourn has a lasting effect on attending students. She recalled a moment when, days after the 2009 trip, Melinda Wang ’10 peeked into Paskali’s classroom and exclaimed, “I’m thinking in Shakespeare!”
After their first visit to OSF, students and alumni often return on their own. “People love story, they love performance,” said Paskali, “and they love that it comes alive to them and it speaks to them in a way that maybe a play on the page doesn’t.”
“Because I have an interest in literature, this trip [has allowed] me to experience it with a new perspective and has definitely made me more interested in reading, writing and enjoying literature,” said sophomore Stephanie Swanson, who this year went on her second Harker OSF trip.
An avid reader of Shakespeare, Swanson said she also enjoyed the opportunity to see OSF’s other offerings. “Seeing all of the plays, from ‘Antony and Cleopatra’ to ‘Guys and Dolls,’ getting to meet and understand some of the actors through discussions and workshops, and bonding with all of your fellow Shakespeare aficionados are just a few of the incredible opportunities offered on this trip, despite its short length,” she said.
Oregon Shakespeare Festival also offers an impressive array of educational programs, many of them run by OSF actors, who teach students critical elements of drama through hands-on activities. In an exercise meant to illustrate a concept from the archetypal narrative of “the hero’s journey,” students covered their eyes and allowed their fellow students to be their eyes and ears while walking around the room.
On a previous visit, students acted out a line from the “The Tempest” using movements and sounds, “trying to understand the play through those lenses,” Paskali recalled.
Incidentally, the journey to OSF can also make for a fun road trip. “The bus rides are as fun as you make it. I sat with a bunch of my friends and we played games, told stories and even tried to do a little homework,” said Solaimanpour. “To me, this goes to show that even if you are doing something you love, it is always better to do that same thing with your friends.”
This article originally appeared in the winter 2015 Harker Quarterly.
In October, UCLA associate music professor Travis Cross visited the upper school campus to work with The Harker School Orchestra, directed by Chris Florio, who himself is a UCLA alumnus. Cross, who conducts UCLA’s Wind Ensemble and Symphonic Band and directs its graduate program in wind conducting, was visiting the Bay Area for a brief spell with the UCLA marching band. Harker was one of four high schools he visited during the trip.
This article originally appeared in the winter 2015 Harker Quarterly.
Several Harker performing arts groups hit the stage at Santana Row on Nov. 17 to celebrate the start of the holiday season. The upper school’s varsity and junior varsity dance troupes, Dance Fusion and High Voltage gave exhilarating performances at the packed event, singing and dancing to time-honored holiday standards, at times updated for present-day audiences. Highlights included Kinetic Krew (the upper school’s first all-male dance troupe) performing to a dubstep version of “Jingle Bells” and Downbeat’s jazzed-up rendition of “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas.”
Students in grades 2 and 3 celebrated the giving spirit of the holidays at the annual Grades 2-3 Holiday Show, held Dec. 17 at the Bucknall Theater. Directed by lower school music teacher Carena Montany, the show featured students singing a variety of holiday-themed songs, including “Frosty the Snowman,” “Feliz Navidad” and “O Chanukah, O Chanukah.” Several numbers included special solo performances or instrumentation, such as the maraca and claves played respectively by second graders Sophia Schafer-Wharton and Jackson Powell on “Feliz Navidad.” The upbeat “Gettin’ in the Mood (For Christmas)” featured exciting choreography by Kimberly Teodoro.
Pianist Peggy Lao and violinist Toni Woodruff very capably provided the accompaniment during the show, while technical director Danny Dunn and her crew of grade 5 technical theater students again rose to the task of making sure the show was a success. The impressive backdrop by scenic designer Whitney Pintello provided the ideal atmosphere for a holiday-themed production.
On Dec. 15, just days before the winter break, the grade 1 homeroom students of teachers Imelda Kusuma, Cindy Proctor, Larissa Weaver and Rita Stone gathered on the stage at the Bucknall Theater for the annual grade 1 holiday show, directed by Carena Montany. The students sang seasonal favorites, including “Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town” and “We Wish You a Merry Christmas,” as well as newer songs, including “Spin a Little Dreidl” and “A Million Little Snowflakes,” the song for which the show was named.
Accompaniment was provided by violinist Toni Woodruff and pianist Peggy Lao. Credit also goes to technical director Danny Dunn and her grade 5 technical theater class for keeping the show running smoothly, and to scenic designer Whitney Pintello and choreographer Gail Palmer.
Several lower school performing arts groups got together in early December for the 2015 Lower School Winter Concert, directed by Louis Hoffman, who also conducted lower school’s Jazz Ensemble and Orchestra. Other featured groups included the Bucknall Choir, conducted by Kellie Binney-Smart and Carena Montany, the Lower School String Ensemble, conducted by Toni Woodruff, and the Preparatory String Ensemble, also directed by Woodruff.
The evening program included performances of pieces both classic and modern, many of them selected for their seasonal appropriateness. Highlights included the Jazz Ensemble’s performance of “Cold Duck Time” by Eddie Harris, a rendition of the traditional “A Festive Holiday” by the Preparatory String Ensemble, a selection of Christmas tunes performed by the String Ensemble and the Lower School Orchestra’s show-closing performance of Mozart’s “The Abduction from the Seraglio.”
A number of special guests also found their way into the show, including the Grade 6 Orchestra, conducted by Dave Hart, performing Soon Hee Newbold’s “Spirit of the American West.”
Several music teachers, including those from Harker’s after-school music programs, also performed at two junctures during the show. The first, a rendition of “Comin’ Home Baby” by Ben Tucker, featured Teresa Orozco on flute, Hart on trumpet, Chris Motter and Owen Stewart-Robinson on guitar, Joshua Thurston-Milgrom on double bass and Rick Algeria on drums. Later, teachers again took the stage for a performance of Georg Philipp Telemann’s “Concerto in D Major for 4 Violins,” performed by Pierre Dazin on violin, Woodruff on viola, Rick Leder on piccolo trumpet, Natachia Li on cello and Thurston-Milgrom again on double bass.
Several lower school performing arts groups got together in early December for the 2015 Lower School Winter Concert, directed by Louis Hoffman, who also conducted lower school’s Jazz Ensemble and Orchestra. Other featured groups included the Bucknall Choir, conducted by Kellie Binney-Smart and Carena Montany, the Lower School String Ensemble, conducted by Toni Woodruff, and the Preparatory String Ensemble, also directed by Woodruff.
The evening program included performances of pieces both classic and modern, many of them selected for their seasonal appropriateness. Highlights included the Jazz Ensemble’s performance of “Cold Duck Time” by Eddie Harris, a rendition of the traditional “A Festive Holiday” by the Preparatory String Ensemble, a selection of Christmas tunes performed by the String Ensemble and the Lower School Orchestra’s show-closing performance of Mozart’s “The Abduction from the Seraglio.”
A number of special guests also found their way into the show, including the Grade 6 Orchestra, conducted by Dave Hart, performing Soon Hee Newbold’s “Spirit of the American West.”
Several music teachers, including those from Harker’s after-school music programs, also performed at two junctures during the show. The first, a rendition of “Comin’ Home Baby” by Ben Tucker, featured Teresa Orozco on flute, Hart on trumpet, Chris Motter and Owen Stewart-Robinson on guitar, Joshua Thurston-Milgrom on double bass and Rick Algeria on drums. Later, teachers again took the stage for a performance of Georg Philipp Telemann’s “Concerto in D Major for 4 Violins,” performed by Pierre Dazin on violin, Woodruff on viola, Rick Leder on piccolo trumpet, Natachia Li on cello and Thurston-Milgrom again on double bass.
Several lower school performing arts groups got together in early December for the 2015 Lower School Winter Concert, directed by Louis Hoffman, who also conducted lower school’s Jazz Ensemble and Orchestra. Other featured groups included the Bucknall Choir, conducted by Kellie Binney-Smart and Carena Montany, the Lower School String Ensemble, conducted by Toni Woodruff, and the Preparatory String Ensemble, also directed by Woodruff.
The evening program included performances of pieces both classic and modern, many of them selected for their seasonal appropriateness. Highlights included the Jazz Ensemble’s performance of “Cold Duck Time” by Eddie Harris, a rendition of the traditional “A Festive Holiday” by the Preparatory String Ensemble, a selection of Christmas tunes performed by the String Ensemble and the Lower School Orchestra’s show-closing performance of Mozart’s “The Abduction from the Seraglio.”
A number of special guests also found their way into the show, including the Grade 6 Orchestra, conducted by Dave Hart, performing Soon Hee Newbold’s “Spirit of the American West.”
Several music teachers, including those from Harker’s after-school music programs, also performed at two junctures during the show. The first, a rendition of “Comin’ Home Baby” by Ben Tucker, featured Teresa Orozco on flute, Hart on trumpet, Chris Motter and Owen Stewart-Robinson on guitar, Joshua Thurston-Milgrom on double bass and Rick Algeria on drums. Later, teachers again took the stage for a performance of Georg Philipp Telemann’s “Concerto in D Major for 4 Violins,” performed by Pierre Dazin on violin, Woodruff on viola, Rick Leder on piccolo trumpet, Natachia Li on cello and Thurston-Milgrom again on double bass.