2022 Fall Production - R & J & Z
by Melody Bates

Summary: R & J & Z (Romeo & Juliet & ZOMBIES) haunted the stage at De La Salle from October 27 - Nov 5, 2022. The famous lovers navigated a world in which death is not necessarily the end.  

What if Romeo and Juliet got a second chance? R & J & Z begins with Act V of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet and keeps going, as the famous lovers navigate a world in which death isn't necessarily the end. Set against the historical backdrop of Verona's plague, Melody Bates’ new-verse play throws old and new characters together over the course of an apocalyptic and action-packed 24 hours. Equally inspired by Shakespeare and modern zombie films, R & J & Z pushes the boundaries of theatrical humor and horror. 

Black Box Production - Godspell Jr

Show Summary:
A group of disciples helps Jesus Christ tell different parables by using a wide variety of games, storytelling techniques, and a hefty dose of comic timing. An eclectic blend of songs, ranging in style from pop to vaudeville, are employed as the story of Jesus' life dances across the stage. Dissolving hauntingly into the Last Supper and the Crucifixion, Jesus' messages of kindness, tolerance, and love come vibrantly to life.

Rehearsal Schedule:

• August 1-6 - Rehearsals for Godspell Jr  (times vary - afternoon to evening)
• August 8-11 - Technical Rehearsals for Godspell Jr: (3-7 p.m.)
• August 12-13 - Theater “Black Box” Production. Godspel Jr Jr at 7:00 p.m.

For more information, click this link and open the Theatre / Broadcast summer camp page

Spring 2022 - Heathers

***Please note that this play is rated PG-13, viewer discretion is advised***

SUMMARY:
From the Concord Theatricals: Based on the classic 1989 film, Westerberg High is ruled by a shoulder-padded, scrunchie-wearing junta: Heather, Heather and Heather, the hottest and cruelest girls in all of Ohio. But misfit Veronica Sawyer rejects their evil regime for a new boyfriend, the dark and sexy stranger J.D., who plans to put the Heathers in their place - six feet under.

From DLS Theatre Company: Although the teen version removes most of the hot-button material like four letter words, references to adolescent smoking, drinking and fooling around, what is left is teens trying to be cruel to each other, trying to hurt each other, or trying to be kind to each other.  Watching 15 - 18 year olds performing on the stage will create both an exciting and scary reality. A veil or insulation will be removed while watching people perform the actual truth of the show. It will be more intense to experience body-shaming, talk of suicide, and bullying out of the mouths of those we try to protect. Our purpose in highlighting these issues is to encourage dialogue among students and our community. During this production, the Theatre Company will be partnering with DLS’s Student Support Services and outside mental health advocates to support our community in grappling with these tough issues. This is a continuation of work we’ve been doing in these areas already.

Fall 2021 - PUFFS 

"Puffs" was used to raise awareness to the needs of those without homes and/or basic needs. Company accepted donations of NEW socks for St. Anthony’s in San Francisco.

SUMMARY: For seven years a certain boy wizard went to a certain Wizard School and conquered evil. This, however, is not his story. This is the story of the Puffs, who just happened to be there too. A tale for anyone who has never been destined to save the world, Puffs: or Seven Increasingly Eventful Years at a Certain School of Magic and Magic is the Off-Broadway comedy by Matt Cox that follows a group of well-meaning magical misfits during the times of that certain boy wizard. Discover the hilarious and untold story of the “losers” who embrace being badgers and strive to be “third or nothing!”

SCHEDULE
Rehearsals began the week of August 23rd and are held every Monday (3:15 - 5:30), Tuesday (3:00 - 5:00) and Thursday (3:00 - 5:00). Some Wednesdays will be reserved for Leads (TBA).

Tech Rehearsals
Technical Rehearsals Run Monday, October 25 to Wednesday, November 3 from 3:00 - 7:30 PM.

Shows Dates
November 4th (varsity) at 7 p.m.
November 6th (varsity) at 2 p.m.
November 6th (JV) at 7 p.m.
November 7th (JV) at 2 p.m.
November 11th (varsity) at 7 p.m.
November 12th (JV) at 4 p.m.
November 13th (varsity) at 7 p.m.
November 14th (JV) at 6:30 p.m.

Fall 2021 - Black Box Version of Into the Woods

This production will be designed, blocked and constructed in under two weeks– go for it. Actors will arrive Aug 2 - fully memorized and the cast and crew will stage the entire show that day. Company, which will add set and tech elements during the next meetings, has never done anything quite like this – Black Box Style – before.

Audiences can expect minimal set design and are called upon to fully engage their imagination. Because there was no singing last year, the De La Salle/Carondelet Theatre Company added this production to allow our vocal artists to maximize their talents and give their best effort to each other and to the community.

Spring 2021 Class Performance - 1984 (Theatrical Study)

Summary
Winston Smith, l​iving under the totalitarian rule of the Party, has the idea of writing a diary. It is a crime punishable by death and there is no way of knowing if he is being watched. He imagines two futures—in one, a future readership in a free society think of him as a hero; in the other he is caught, executed and forgotten. Perhaps both things are true.

So ask yourself, what are the real consequences of freedom in a trapped world? Is it worth it?

• Character and Play Information
• 1984 Sign Up
• Cast List
• Rehearsal Schedule

Performance Information

• Venue outside under the tent on the Quad
• Performance Dates: April 15th,16th,17th, 22nd, 23rd, and 24th 
• Spaces held until 7:15 p.m. Show begins at 7:30 p.m.

Fall 2020 Production - Twelve Angry Jurors

De La Salle and Carondelet Theatre Company’s outdoor performance of 12 Angry Jurors is scheduled to run November 5, 6, 7, 12, 13, and 14 at 7:15 p.m., under the tent in the quad.

Twelve Angry Jurors Summary
A 19-year-old man has just stood trial for the fatal stabbing of his father. "He doesn't stand a chance," mutters the guard as the 12 jurors are taken into the bleak jury room. It looks like an open-and-shut case—until one of the jurors begins opening the others' eyes to the facts. "This is a remarkable thing about democracy," says the foreign-born juror, "that we are notified by mail to come down to this place—and decide on the guilt or innocence of a person; of a man or woman we have not known before. We have nothing to gain or lose by our verdict. We should not make it a personal thing." But personal it is, with each juror revealing his or her own character as the various testimonies are re-examined, the murder is re-enacted and a new murder threat is born before their eyes! Tempers get short, arguments grow heated, and the jurors become 12 angry people.

The cast and crew met in cohorts during the 2020 fall semester to bring our community a production set in the pandemic. They constructed plexiglass juror tables and incorporated all of the fears and safety precautions that we face each day. Add to the environment the pressure of determining the fate of an accused 19-year-old boy and we have some powerful theatre.

12 Angry Jurors wrestles with our justice system and the people who determine if one really is innocent until proven guilty. 

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2020 Spring Musical: Guys & Dolls

Performances Postponed.
New Dates to Be Announced. 

For those that already purchased tickets, additional information will be forthcoming.

2019 Fall Play: SHE KILLS MONSTERS

2019 Spring Play: PYGMALION (by Bernard Shaw)

The students of De La Salle and Carondelet created a contemporary version of George Bernard Shaw's Pygmalion. Is this dramatic work still relevant 100 years later? With a fresh set of 2019 costumes and set designs, we think so. 

About the Play - Pygmalion
Living in poverty and struggling from day to day can be very difficult. Most of us, if given the opportunity, would try to make changes to our lives and our situation. Pygmalion tells the story of a poor, young street girl who has been disrespected and overlooked because of her punk appearance and the dialect she speaks. When she overhears a bragging professor claiming he could turn her into a duchess, she dares him to do so. The outcome of her training is not what she expected, and she is not only able to change her appearance and speech, but also gain confidence in her self-worth.

2018 Fall Musical: DOGFIGHT (PG-13)

About the Musical 
Dogfight chronicles the last evening of six Marines before they depart to Vietnam. They host a "dogfight" which is a contest to see who can bring the "ugliest" girl. The story then unfolds as our protagonist comes to realize he has real feelings for Rose, the girl he chose to subject to this humiliation. Rose is the example of compassion and empathy that is the heart of the production.

This show asks questions about mob-mentality effects, entitled actions, standing up to friends, and surviving in a world of war and returning home. Although it is an upbeat and fun musical, there is an undertone of layered seriousness that could be mistaken if not seen with mature eyes, therefore the PG-13 rating.

Dogfight deals with sexual harassment, objectification, and abuse. Our theatre program decided to join forces with our Mentors in Violence Prevention program on campus and bring awareness to these issues, that our students face in high school and beyond. Our production is intended to spark tough conversations, not provide answers.

Spring 2018 Musical: Little Shop of Horrors

About the Musical:
Little Shop of Horrors is a dark comedy. The action opens in Mushnik's Flower Shop, a failing store on Skid Row. The few plants in stock are, like their surroundings, rundown and fading. There, we meet Mr. Mushnik and his two employees, Audrey and the nerdish Seymour Krelborn, who secretly has a crush on his beautiful-but-much-abused co-worker. Seymour brings a strange plant to the flower shop, and business begins to bloom. Seymour's sudden success comes with a price. The plant, which he names Audrey II after his co-woker, demands to be fed human blood. Ultimately, however, Seymour’s natural goodness begins to make him think about his lifestyle and what he must do to maintain it.

Is it too late for him?

The Outsiders

The Outsiders tells the story of two teen groups whose poisonous rivalry stems from socioeconomic differences. They judge. They stereotype. They viciously act on an unidentified anger that is grounded in hatred and catapulted by misunderstanding. De La Salle’s theme this year is Respect for All Persons. This play is about what it means when a person does not belong to a particular group. In this play – who is the outsider?

That depends on your perspective.

Both groups demonstrate loyalty. Both groups live by a moral code. Both groups experience fear, love and sorrow. We chose this play because, really, aren’t each of us on the “outside” of something based on another person’s perspective?

As audience members we will see both of these groups of teens do horrible and compassionate things to one another. We will champion and pity. Through Ponyboy's eyes we find that the telling of the tale – the thoughtful intent of sharing our worlds – reveals that all people must come to terms with fear, love and sorrow. We don’t always do it the best way we can. We fail. We forgive. We learn. We “re-see” or respect from a new perspective.

This November S.E. Hinton’s Ponyboy shares the story of his experiences with us on the Brother Celestine Cormier Stage. We’d love to see you in the theatre!

2016-2017 SEASON
Fall: "High School Musical"
Spring: "MacBeth"

2015-2016 SEASON
Fall: "You Can't Take It With You"
Spring: "Cinderella"

2014-2015 SEASON
Spring: "Respect is..." A Student Showcase
Fall: "Yes, and...", an Evening of Improvisation

2013-2014 SEASON
Spring: Legally Blonde: The Musical
Fall: Clue

2012-2013 SEASON
Spring: Student Written/Directed Showcase
Spring: As You Wish
Fall: The Crucible

2011-2012 SEASON
Spring Musical: Bye Bye Birdie
Fall: The Laramie Project

2010-2011 SEASON
Spring Musical: The Wizard of Oz
Fall: It's a Wonderful Life

2009-2010 SEASON
Spring: It's All in the Timing
Spring Musical: Grease
Fall: Alice in Wonderland

For a complete list of productions in the history of the school, click HERE.