Theater at Hamden High School has been a major feature of the school since it opened in 1935. It has been part of both the academic and extra-curricular programs with courses in all aspects of theater; and productions from student written plays through the classics, contemporary drama and musical theater. In 1975 an independent Department of Theater was established with over 14 courses offered in grades 7 through 12 and a production schedule of 8 plays in three schools.
In 1987, theater was incorporated into the newly established K-12 Department of Fine Arts Along with music and visual arts. In this new department, theater takes its place with the other arts in a unified program which moves the concept forward that all arts are for all students.
The current course offerings include: Drama (a general course) at the middle school level and four courses in acting, one introductory course, a children's theater course, a technical theater course, one in literature and one in black theater at the high school. In addition, students may select independent study programs in design and directing.
Currently, two plays are produced each season at the middle school. At the high school, three mainstage productions are supplemented by two touring children's plays and an evening of student directed one-act plays. The spring production has been entered in the Connecticut Drama Association Festival for 19 years and received it's highest award 17 times.
In addition, students have participated in a variety of other theater activities such as the Commecticut Drama Association Convention; the New England Theatre Conference Convention; The New England Drama Council Festival; various monologue competitions; and two exchange programs with the Kirby-Kendal School in Kendal, England.
In 1987, the theater program was featured in a one hour television special called Places, Please, which received national coverage when it was presented on the Discovery Channel on cable TV. The piece was also carried by Public Television and is available from Films for the Humanities.
Recently honored by the Connecticut State Legislature, Hamden has been selected as one of three districts to develop model curriculum guides in the arts. The theater program has been a state model since the last publication of a state curriculum guide in 1981.
