FPD Theatre is a vibrant program that includes classes for students in grades 4th – 12th, four full-scale productions, and numerous other opportunities to perform, build, and design. We recognize the vast and varied artistic talents that God has given our students and strive to use them for His glory.
The methodology used for teaching theatre classes at FPD is very experiential. Actors, directors, and other theatre practitioners learn their craft by actually doing it, not reading about it in a book. For that reason, our classes are always very active. Students take part in daily warm-ups, acting games, technical theatre activities, and a variety of projects. Theatre is wonderful fun, but requires commitment, energy, and desire. Six different courses are currently available for students in middle and high school.
FPD Theatre presents at least four productions each year: an elementary production, a one-act for theatre competition, a Broadway-style musical, and another full-length play. Our play selections cover a variety of styles, helping theatre students develop skills in many different areas. For example, last season’s shows included Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (elementary), the Italian commedia dell’arte play King Stag (one-act), Stephen Sondheim’s Broadway musical Into the Woods, and a challenging stage version of Little Women. Students not only perform in the plays but also provide much of the technical and design work on scenery, lighting, costumes, and publicity. More information about current shows in production can be found on the FPD Theatre website: http://fpdtheatre.homestead.com
Current Course Offering in Theatre:
Introduction to Theatre
Sixth Grade
This semester course introduces students to many elements of theatre. Breathing, vocal, and physical warm-ups are learned and performed often. Students get early experience in acting through acting games, pantomime, basic newscasting, monologues, and original scene development. Students learn stage directions and theatre terminology and are introduced to all of the technical areas: scenery, lighting, costumes, and make-up. The semester ends with creation of several short plays that are written, designed, directed, and performed by the students for elementary audiences.
Middle School Theatre
Seventh and Eighth Grades
This nine-week course gives students a sample of many theatre experiences. Warm-ups continue to be a regular part of the course as well as acting games. Students get “hands-on” experience in the technical areas of theatre by helping to create scenery for current productions. Group pantomime and acting work is emphasized. Students learn auditioning skills, basic character development, and the rudiments of acting theory. These skills are then put to use in a culminating project: the performance of a published one-act play complete with costumes and set.
Middle School Technical Theatre
Seventh and Eighth Grades
Technical Theatre gives middle school students a chance to explore all of the design elements of theatre. In this nine-week course, students will learn the basics of scenic, lighting, sound, costume, and make-up design. Technical theatre students also assist in building sets for upcoming shows and preparing and running technical elements for assemblies.
Theatre I
High School
Theatre I is a semester course that emphasizes skill development in both acting and technical theatre. Acting is taught through warm-ups, theatre games, pantomime, and basic improvisation. The important theatre skills of mask making and mask acting are explored as well some of the classical theatre styles that used masks. Newscasting (studio and field reporting) is learned to improve vocal performance and self-evaluation. The students will study the basic tenets of the Stanislavski acting method Technical areas of study include costume design (with focus on designing from stock), set design and creation, curtain use and maintenance, and basic sound and lighting operation. Advanced make-up techniques are explored including old-age, basic corrective, and special effects. All of the areas of study come together in the creation of a fully-realized one-act production. (Note: This is not the one-act play taken to GISA competition. Theatre I requires no rehearsals or performances outside of the class period.)
Advanced Theatre
High School
Pre-requisite: Theatre I or permission of instructor. Advanced Theatre advances the work begun in Theatre I. The Stanislavski method of acting is explored more in depth and applied in class exercises. An increased emphasis is placed on improvisational techniques and character development and research. Technical theatre work continues with hands-on experience in creating scenery, costumes, and props for current productions. As part of this course students will develop a full-length production with complete technical details. This play will be performed for a public audience. Course length: one semester.
Technical Theatre
High School
In this semester-length course students learn advanced techniques in all of the areas of theatre design and execution. These areas include scenic, lighting, sound, costume, and make-up design as well as set construction, theatre maintenance, and safety. Technical theatre students also assist in building sets for upcoming shows and preparing and running technical elements for assemblies. High school technical theatre students will have the opportunity to help design elements for actual productions at FPD.
Director of Theatre
R. Andrew Strickland
astrickland@fpdmacon.org
R. Andrew Strickland (Theatre) got his
start as a dancer in a production of A Chorus Line in his native
Fort Lauderdale at the age of fifteen. His years of dance training were
put to good use as he appeared in five more local productions within one
year. Over the next few years Mr. Strickland became a regular in South
Florida musical theatre, appearing with the Fort Lauderdale Players and
many other theatre companies in a wide array of shows including West
Side Story, Bye Bye Birdie, Evita, Brigadoon, Candide, Assassins, Gilbert & Sullivan’s Patience, Oliver!, Grease, and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor
Dreamcoat.
Mr. Strickland began his formal
theatre training at the University of Alabama in 1988. During his time
at Alabama, he held professional positions with two theatres: Tuscaloosa
Children’s Theatre (technical director, choreographer) and Children’s
Hands-On Museum (actor/playwright). He also founded and served as
artistic director of the Moondagger Theatre Company, a collection of
students and community members that produced independent theatre
productions on the university campus. With this company Strickland
directed the debut production of Counterfeit Moonlight and later
staged an outdoor performance of Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing.
He graduated with a BA in theatre (emphasis on directing) in 1992.
After graduation Strickland worked in
theatre in many capacities. He was a full-time school teacher in the
Fort Lauderdale school system running theatre programs at Rickards
Middle School and Miramar High School. He founded Radioactive Theatre,
a small company dedicated to staging plays adapted from old radio
shows. He also continued acting locally, ultimately becoming a
professional actor and appearing in such shows as A Chorus Line and The Music Man.
Strickland went to the University of
Mississippi in 1995 to complete his Master of Fine Arts degree in
theatre directing. While at Ole Miss, he was involved in many
productions including directing The Boor, Romance/Romance, Assassins, and M Butterfly; music directing Showstoppers ’97 and ’98; and appearing in A Chorus Line, The Lark, Mixed Nuts, and The Servant of Two Masters (among others). He also taught speech and acting as well as
coordinating publicity for the theatre department. Strickland received
his MFA in 1998.
Strickland worked for several years as
a professional director and choreographer including stints at Snow Camp
Outdoor Theatre (Snow Camp, NC), Timber Lake Playhouse (Mt. Carroll,
IL), and Weathervane Playhouse (Newark, OH). He served for three years
as resident director of Corinth Theatre-Arts (Corinth, MS) where he
directed thirty productions including A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Sound of Music, Zombie Prom, Smoke on the Mountain, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, The Crucible, Stand and Deliver, The Lark, and Starmites. He
also designed sets and created an exciting youth theatre program. He
was awarded four Magnolia Awards for his artistic work in Corinth.
Upon leaving Mississippi, Mr.
Strickland journeyed to Detroit to work on his Ph.D. in theatre at Wayne
State University and serve as Director of the Acting Company for Mosaic
Youth Theatre. At Wayne State he directed the debut performance of There Were Roses and served as the only student member of the
prestigious promotion and tenure committee. He also wrote and directed
plays for several prominent organizations including the Detroit Zoo and
the Detroit Institute of Arts.
Mr. Strickland was led by God to leave
Detroit in 2003 to join the faculty at FPD. He was thrilled to finally
have an opportunity to combine his love of the Lord with his skills in
theatre. In addition to his duties at FPD, Strickland continues to work
on his Ph.D. and has recently started writing theatre reviews for the
Macon Telegraph. At current count he has directed nearly 70 theatre
productions and has worked in varying capacities on more than 150.
Mr. Strickland is married to Janet, a
pre-school teacher at Ingleside Baptist Church. They are extremely
proud of their brand-new son Luke Miles Strickland. The Stricklands
attend Vineville North Baptist Church.
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