Arts
Theatre
TNS Plays & Musicals
The purpose of The New School drama program is to encourage young people to play and create through cooperation and collaboration. Our classroom curriculum and productions on stage help students experience empathy, self-discovery, expression, communication, problem solving, and confidence.The New School’s drama program was started in 1972 by Andrea Romine, and her original musicals (co-written with Betty Butcher) continue to play on our stage every year.
Pre-K and Kindergarteners bring Farnahan’s Circus to life every spring, while the first and second graders celebrate The Magical Forest in December. Our third and fourth graders do a big musical every March - this year is 101 Dalmatians - and the 5th graders will perform in the world premiere of another TNS original, The Second Fiddles, in the fall. Our older students rehearse their one-act plays during drama class or after school and perform at different times throughout the school year.
Pre-K and Kindergarteners bring Farnahan’s Circus to life every spring, while the first and second graders celebrate The Magical Forest in December. Our third and fourth graders do a big musical every March - this year is 101 Dalmatians - and the 5th graders will perform in the world premiere of another TNS original, The Second Fiddles, in the fall. Our older students rehearse their one-act plays during drama class or after school and perform at different times throughout the school year.
Middle & Upper School Drama with Jonny Schremmer & Rachel Bland
Adolescents can find it difficult to express their emotions, and drama provides a great outlet for young people to explore a wide range of feelings including delight, anger and unhappiness. We hope to create a fun and safe space for our middle school students to collaborate with their peers, gain confidence in who they are, and develop empathy for others through games, exercises, writing, and performance.
Sixth graders spend the fall semester in a nine-week rotation of drama and ensemble. At the end of each quarter, they will perform together in a music/improvisation show called The Morning Jam: Play it By Ear on Thursday, October 9th, and Tuesday, December 16th at 9:00 am in the Auditorium.
Seventh and eighth graders choose year-long arts elective classes, and those in drama explore basic acting techniques through drama games and exercises before rehearsing and performing their class play on Thursday, April 16th, at 10am and 7pm.
Upper school students can take Stagecraft class, which is responsible for designing and creating costumes, props, and set pieces for our TNS productions. Auditions are open to all 9th-12th graders for the play When Robots Rule Us All, which will be performed on Thursday, November 13th at 10am and 7pm, and Drama Club meets on Tuesdays at 3:00.
Northwest Arkansas' Premier Independent School
Empowering students age one through grade 12
Empowering students age one through grade 12
