Since the 2001 opening of the 250-seat Valenzuela Theater, the performing arts program has been continually expanding.

Every year we produce two main stage shows – a fall musical, and a spring drama.  This year the students will be performing in one of the first West Coast productions of The Phantom of the Opera in November, and the stage adaptation of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice in March.

Along with the main stage shows, the students are very active running Presentation’s chapter of the International Thespian Society.  In the fall they produce an evening of one-acts called SnipITS, and in the spring Musical SnipITS.  They also produce a concert in which they include other PHS clubs as well as the Jazz Choir and Dance Team, and donate profits to a different organization every year.  Last spring the students even wrote and produced a full-length original musical, Always & Forever, Kate.

The Jazz Choir is another major part of our performing arts department.  In April 2010, the choir traveled to New Orleans to compete in a music festival, garnering a beautiful trophy for their performance. In spring of 2011, the choir performed at a jazz festival in Marin County, receiving a rating of superior, and another trophy.  This year, 2011-2012, the band and choir will be traveling to Disneyland to perform in at the Heritage Music Festival in the park.

Presentation also has it’s own improvisation team, Spontaneous Combustion.  This hilarious group competes against other schools as well as performing two of their own shows every year.  This year their performances will be on December 2nd, and April 27th.

None of this would be possible without the help of our parent booster club TADA! (Theater and Arts Development Association).  They are extremely active, volunteering their time and expertise with set builds, costume construction, running the front of house for all of our productions, and if all that wasn’t enough, they also produce a show of their own every year to help raise money to support the students.  Last year’s Little Shop of Horrors was extremely successful, and this year they will be expanding their energy and talents into two full-length musicals: You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown in January, and Red Hot & Cole in April.

Finally, every summer the Presentation Theater opens its doors to two summer programs.  Page2Stage is a two-week intensive for high school students in which they produce an original musical production in just ten days.  Presentation Repertory is a five-week program for both middle school and high school students.  These students take classes in various theatrical disciplines such as acting, improvisation, dance, and technical theatre, as well as rehearsing and performing two productions.  This year PresRep’s main stage production is the endearing fantasy Peter Pan.

THEATER PROGRAM

Theater arts is vibrant and alive at Presentation High School. We offer our students – as well as boys from neighboring schools – the chance to participate in the creation of a musical production in the fall and a drama or comedy in the spring. Past productions include “Beauty and the Beast,” “Into the Woods,” “Romeo and Juliet” and “Our Town.” All main stage productions unfold at the beautiful, 200-set Valenzuela Theater under the direction of Performing Arts Director Jim Houle, who has made Pres his artistic base since 2004.

 

Last year, our nostalgic musical production of “Little Women” received high praise and accolades, and our spring comedy, Shakespeare’s “A Comedy of Errors” was a night of raucous entertainment. Mr. Houle is also a set designer, and enjoys teaching non-performing theater students – the tech crew – about behind-the-scenes magic techniques our productions often employ. Whether cast or crew, Presentation performing arts productions are made possible by “the hardest working company in show business!”  For even more theater offerings, check out our student-run chapter of the International Thespian Society.

Presenting our 2011-2012 season!

• SnipITS (September 9)
• ITS Concert for Love (October 6)
• Fall Musical: The Phantom of the Opera (Nov 5 – 20)
• TADA! Fundraiser: You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown (January 14 – 22)
• Musical SnipITS (February 7 – 8)
• Spring Play: Pride & Prejudice (March 10 – 18)
• TADA! Fundraiser: Red Hot & Cole (April 20 – 29)
• Summer Programs:
• Page2Stage Production: HeadCase (June 8 – 11)
• PresRep Production: TBA (July 11, 14)
• PresRep Production: Peter Pan (July 12 – 16)

Check the Box Office page to buy tickets for all Presentation High School theater productions, as well as performances and special events from our Choir, Band, Dance Team, and more!