Drama/Theater at John Muir Middle School

About the Muir Drama program

John Muir Middle School Drama consists of four levels:

• In the student’s sixth grade year they get to take our year long BEGINNING DRAMA. In the Fall, students learn the basics of pantomime, improvisation, and cold reading while getting used to being on stage and playing fun games that reinforce these skills. The Spring takes us on our "around- the-world-trip" through theater history as students perform in the styles and traditions of various cultures. It's a class that works for kids that are very shy as well as for the born perfomer.

• In seventh grade and eighth grade students can be a part of the year long INTERMEDIATE DRAMA class.  This class focuses on building an ensemble of performers and teaches kids about Greek tragedy, elements of comedy, parody, satire, melodrama, advanced improvisation, monologues and scene work.  They will write their own scenes and monologues as well as get a chance to practice interpretation by performing famous theatrical pieces.  Students in this class spend most of their time up on their feet performing, but still leave with a solid academic base.  Each semester the class performs in a nighttime “friends and family” invitation-only showcase in our auditorium.

• PLAY PRODUCTION is for our most dedicated eighth graders as the class does the work of rehearsing and preparing to put on the school play. These students audition to get into the class, select the play, audition for parts, rehearse after school, and perform in front of the entire John Muir Middle School student body and the public. During the time that preparation for the play isn't our focus, these students work on monologues, character development, and sketch writing.
• A seventh or eighth grade student that decides they want to learn what goes on behind the scenes can join THEATHER TECH. In this year-long class, students learn the fundamentals of stagecraft, set decoration, lighting, sound, theater management, and all of the work off stage that improves the work on stage. With an emphasis on cooperation and safety, this class, though it does require an after school commitment during the shows, is perfect for beginners and experienced technicians alike.

Contact: stephenjames@burbankusd.org