The Votes Are In!
2023 Readers' Choice is back, bigger and better than ever!
View Winners → 
Maranatha High School Theater Goes Back Stage at APU
Education Oct 30, 2014
Photo by Motiejus Barauskas
by
share with
Maranatha High School’s Theater 1-3 courses recently traveled to Azusa Pacific University (APU) to attend a performance of Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” by their theater company. The purpose of the trip was to introduce beginning level Theater students to Shakespearean theater and to further expose the advanced students to the dynamics of collegiate theater. Maranatha’s Theater Faculty Jeremiah Blessinger said, “I chose to attend this performance because APU has a great reputation for delivering high quality theatrical events. They also offered the opportunity to talk with the actors and the director after the show to gain greater insight into the process of developing a play at the collegiate level.” After the performance, students met with the director and actors. They were also taken on a guided tour of their workshop and performance spaces. Maranatha students asked questions about the process of rehearsals and the preparation involved in understanding the language of Shakespeare. Emma Hausler, a Maranatha senior who is looking to a future in musical theater, enjoyed seeing the professionalism of the actors and said, “This was a great experience that motivated me to keep practicing and moving forward with my goals.” Maranatha’s Theater classes not only practice the art of theater, but analyze plays and different aspects of theater. On this field trip, students had the opportunity to witness Shakespeare the way it was intended to be introduced, performed on stage rather than on paper. Blessinger added, “Students gained an appreciation for and an understanding of the process of putting on a play at the next level of performance.” Maranatha High School is located near Old Town Pasadena and their performing art students perform in the renowned Ambassador Auditorium. Come see the entire Maranatha campus, including the Ambassador Auditorium, and meet their faculty at their upcoming Admissions Open House on Saturday, November 8 at 10:00 a.m.
