Student Actors to Learn from Peers at Theater Fest

There are few opportunities for Deerfield’s theater students to see the work of peers at other schools. However, this April, the Acting Tutorial Class will attend the third annual Interschool Student One Act Festival.

A group of theater students at Phillips Academy Andover started this day-long festival. Currently eight schools including Hotchkiss, Exeter, and St. Paul’s participate. In its first two years, the festival was held at Andover, but this year it will be at Choate for its convenient location.

The festival begins with workshops on different elements of drama and theater. In the evening, each school performs a ten minute one-act play led by a student director.

The focus on student involvement is what attracts Director of Acting John Reese to the festival. “Letting it be more or less student run makes it much more fun.” He also thinks that the lack of competition in the festival “fosters a nice spirit.”

Camille Coppola ’10 will be leading a workshop on a concept she learned at an acting program this past summer.

Despite her nervousness, Coppola said, “I’m really excited. I have wanted to teach this idea since I learned it.”

In planning this year’s schedule, Mr. Reese was adamant about attending the festival. (In the past two years, it was impossible to attend due to other events.) He feels it is important for the artists to interact with other schools just as athletes do.