Performing Arts
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The performing arts program at Bishop Verot has grown over the last few years. Some of the theatrical performances from the last few years include Bye Bye Birdie, Lucky Stiff, The Sound of Music, Plaza Suite, and Guys and Dolls. The choir and band have participated in competitions and performances around the state, such as Festival Disney in Orlando, the St. Andrew Festival, and the AFCAAM Christmas recital, in addition to hosting a combined concert every semester in Bishop Verot's Anderson Theater.
PLAYS
We perform a straight play every year in the fall. In the past, we've put on productions of Neil Simon's Plaza Suite and John Anthony's Sandbag, Stage Left (or, One Dead Dolly) and most recently this past November, Don Zolidis' The Brothers Grimm Spectaculathon. Because the casts are typically smaller for these shows, it gives the students the opportunity to enhance their acting skills and learn how to explore their characters. For new students, it allows them to ease into theater at Verot and get to know the routine and facilities on a smaller scale. Auditions for this show happen in August at the beginning of the school year and are advertised through Canvas announcements.
MUSICALS
Our musicals are performed in the spring at Bishop Verot. We typically hold our auditions before Christmas break in order to get right into rehearsals when we return. Our shows have grown a lot in the last few years, with over 50 students participating in our last show, The Addams Family Musical. This past summer, we performed Disney's Beauty and the Beast, featuring students from Bishop Verot, Saint Francis, and Saint Andrew. There are many ways to be involved in the show, whether onstage, backstage, pit orchestra, set design and painting, and costumes.
BACKSTAGE CREW
For those who want to be in theater but don't love being onstage, we have several backstage positions that are crucial to the effect and running of the show. We have students run the lighting and sound boards, operate the fly loft pulling in and out backdrops, managing the stage, moving the props, dressing the characters in different costumes, and more. Each show is a culmination of many different skills and talents, so even if you never get onstage in front of everybody, you can still be a part of the theater experience.
PIT ORCHESTRA
Our musicals at Bishop Verot feature a live pit orchestra, conducted by Mrs. Linda Burke. Live orchestra brings an amazing energy and life to the show. Part of the reason they happen in the spring is because the band members are busy performing at our football games in the fall for Marching Band! Our pit orchestra will usually feature a combination of students, teachers, and select professional musicians.
THESPIANS TROUPE 6159
Bishop Verot High School Thespian Troupe 6159 is a part of the International Thespian Society, an organization that recognizes students for their exceptional participation in theater. Thespians allow students who are involved in theater to compete and receive scores from theatrical professionals, whether it's for performing, playwriting, makeup design, or other theatrical categories. They also receive points throughout the year for participating in the productions, attending shows, and helping create the set. The minimum number of points that students have to attain each year to remain a member of Thespians is 10 points, which is equivalent to 100 hours. If a student achieves 40 points by the end of their senior year, they can graduate with a special blue and gold cord to be recognized as a committed Thespian. We also participate in the SWFL Theatrical Society Festival, a local theater festival that brings together all the performing arts schools in Lee County.
CLASSES
We offer several classes as part of our curriculum at Bishop Verot. These are separate from the extracurricular theater program. Acting is typically in the fall, where they learn how to perform a monologue, how to complete a character analysis, act in scene work, and write their own play. Technical Theater is offered in the spring, where students learn all the backstage technical elements that go into a production, such as training in the fly loft, designing a light show, publicity design, and presenting a scene with sound effects and microphones. Musical Theater Acting is also in the fall, where students will perform two solo numbers, simple dance combinations, and ensemble numbers. They'll learn how to break down a song, sing properly, and enhance their characterization while singing.
Why Bishop Verot Performing Arts?
Listen to what the kids have to say about why they choose Bishop Verot.
