“Actors Places!”
It’s been 10 years since The Laboratory School of Finance and Technology offered a theater program to its students. The 2025-2026 school year marks the theater program’s comeback and its first time being offered to both middle school and high school students.
“Many years ago, when we were able to offer theater in the middle school, it was always engaging for students. We wanted to be able to bring that back for students and be able to offer them choice so that they can grow in an art form that matches their interest,” said Assistant Principal Ms. Downs.
The new program needed a full-time theater teacher and fortunately for HS223 there was already a teacher ready to take over the position: Ms. Summer.
“I am so excited for kids that come alive on stage to actually have a stage. We have naturally talented kids that would not get to show out their stuff,” said Ms. Summer who is taking on the position of theater teacher this year.
“The fact that I get to make a theater program here is exciting. It’s thrilling to me,” said Ms. Summer.
Ms. Summer wants to give the students the chance to learn and experience something new that is also appropriate to their age level.
“The sixth graders have been working initially on what’s called tableau work, frozen pictures, using the body to tell a story, they have since moved into small scenes from the musical Westside Story,” said Ms. Summer.
Students in the 10th grade are working on more mature topics.
“10th grade is doing a deeper dive into the practice of acting. Right now we are working on scene/character analysis,” said Ms. Summer.
Students have been working hard to understand all the skills that are required for a good acting performance.
“We study scripts and we analyze them. Then we try to put ourselves in the character. Ms. Summer teaches us how to memorize scripts. We learn to express ourselves,” said Eneida Morales (Class of 2028).
On Friday November 14, 10th grade students performed scenes from the Pulitzer Prize winning play Water by the Spoonful by Quiara Alegria Hudes in the library for their peers.
“For [the performance] it’s more about understanding who you are as an actor, and seeing the world, and people differently because you have to understand their character,” said Javier Galindo (Class of 2028) who worked on a scene for the performance.
But acting for the students is also a personal exploration
“You learn that your body and words have meaning. When you’re acting or doing a presentation, your body language reveals who you are,” said Javier.
Students in both 6th grade and 10th grade have been enjoying the experience.
“I always wanted to try acting as a kid; I wanted to see how acting was and how it felt,” said sixth-grader Salvador Sanchez.
Students have also found it nice to have a new audience to perform for.
“I always loved acting and I would always do it with my mom, and she would always laugh,” said Courtneji Hines (Class of 2028)
And there are some exciting steps to look forward to for the future of the theater program.
“In the long term I would love it if somehow we could blend the theater program into the after school somehow to make a bridge to an actual production of a play from beginning to end,” said Ms. Summer.
