The Griffith High School and Middle School theatre program is breaking box office records as it continues to grow and attract aspiring actors, musicians and set and prop designers.

Leading the program are Jenna Parker, the high school theater director, and middle school theatre director Joey Ramos.

“Together they work with our talented middle and high school students to bring out top-notch performances to our students, staff and community,” said Michelle Udchitz, Director of Guidance for Griffith Public Schools. “They have the unique ability to oversee creative choices, along with other staff members, on stage such as costume, design, lighting and sound. Our theatre program has grown immensely over the past several years. Mrs. Parker and Mr. Ramos have created a special bond with the theatre students that will surely last for years to come.”

Parker said the main goal of the theatre program is to teach students both the performance and technical aspects of production.

“We teach our students a little bit of everything, and encourage them to pursue their talents on stage, through building sets and props, and providing costume, hair and makeup designs and application, along with learning technical skills in lights and sound,” she said. “During musical season, we bring in our talented student-led pit orchestra to perform along with our actors.”

The Griffith Theatre Company, led by Parker, produces three full-length performances each season, including a one-act performance it takes to a regional theatre competition with the Indiana Thespians organization. High school students also perform at the Indiana Thespian State Conference in individual and technical categories. The company recently added a show to the theatre season with a 30-minute production for the regional competition.

“This is our next big building block for our program, and we hope to continue into regionals with a possible advancement to state in the coming years,” Parker said.

Theatre arts get classroom time

Theatre is more than an extracurricular activity for Griffith students. The GHS Guidance Department has worked with Parker to establish a pathway for students to take classes in Theatre Arts, Theatre Productions, Advanced Theatre Arts and Productions, and Advanced Acting.

“These classes educate our students in the basics of theatre and its history, in all the aspects of performance and technical theatre, in script analysis and review, and include performances on stage throughout the semester,” Parker said. “We are excited to be in discussions about including beginning courses for our middle school cohorts soon.”

Middle schoolers draw crowds for “Wizard of Oz”

The middle school theatre program is now in its eighth season, and it puts on a full-length production with only middle school student actors each year. High school students assist middle program students by teaching them crew positions such as directing, set and stage crew production, costuming, and hair and makeup.

Their most recent production of “The Wizard of Oz” brought in the largest audience for a Griffith middle school production to date.

“Our incredible cast and crew delivered an outstanding performance that captivated a large audience,” Ramos said. “We were thrilled to have more than 1,000 people in attendance to enjoy Dorothy’s adventure in the land of Oz. One special highlight of our production was having a real dog play the role of Toto, adding an extra layer of authenticity to the performance.”

The Griffith Theatre Company’s next production is their spring musical, “Beauty and The Beast.”

Community support essential

Parker said that without the support of the school administration, parents and the Griffith community at large, such a successful theatre program would not be possible.

The Griffith community has supported us all along the way,” she said. “Our last two musicals alone were record breakers for our box office, with 2022’s ‘Grease’ being our highest attend show to date. We had more than 1,500 patrons for the weekend. I must confess, we don’t do it for the numbers, but it was pretty exciting to see a line around the building for our opening night.”

The GHS auditorium, which underwent a major renovation last year, has enhanced enjoyment for theatregoers and performers alike.

“Thanks to the recent bonds approved by the school board, our auditorium received a much-needed facelift, complete with new flooring, carpet, aisle lighting, increased handicap accessible seating and a fresh coat of paint,” Parker said. “It still has that new car smell. The Griffith Educational Foundation also graciously donated towards our new sound system with new receivers that make our productions sound crisp and clear.”

Parker, who has been GHS theatre director for the past 10 years, said she, Ramos and the school administration are always looking for new and exciting ways to bring theatre and its many positives to the student body.

“I have the best group of adult directing staff to work alongside, and I cannot thank them enough for all the hard work that they do all season,” she said. “Working with theatre students is the best part of my day and we hope our audience sees how much we truly love putting on show after show.”

Jim Masters is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.