Performing Arts Evening: A new tradition at our School
On August 21st, our School celebrated the first official edition of the Performing Arts Evening, an event that originated in 2021 during the pandemic. This initiative aims to showcase and share with the Community some of the outstanding work created by pupils from both national and international Drama courses in Senior School.
We would like to extend our heartfelt congratulations to all the pupils who participated:
Participants: Ethan Jana, Catalina Legassa, Nicolás Berndt, Emilia Moreno, Catalina Cortés, Ana Krefft, Isabel Soto, Emma Mac-Auliffe, Julián Contreras, Rosario Diez, Manuel Pereira, Samuel Levine, Tobias Eatough, Amaya Selman, Clemente Vergara, León Undurraga, Tomás del Río, Isidora Herreros, Emilia Quijada, Camila Schmidt, Amelia Espinosa, Ema Moro, Catalina Naylor, Matilda Báez, Vicente Salgado, Mateo Ostornol, Maximiliano Acuña, Matías Lobo, Lucía Cubillos, Ana Koch, Emma Katz, Olivia Secondo, Agustina Nieto, Diego Cifuentes, Gabriel Gacitúa, Lucas Boza, Matías Delgado, and Marcelo Aste.
A special mention goes to everyone for their excellent work. Notably, this was the first time the entire production was student-led, with pupils managing not only the acting but also the lighting and sound. Additionally, the set design, props, and costumes were all created and designed by the cast and students from Senior School Drama courses.
This event marks the beginning of a new tradition in our School, where creativity and collaboration are celebrated.
Behind the scenes: A Journey to the Show
Cold, pale, and grey, the shiny sky reflected off Jean Jackson Hall. It’s 9 a.m., and teenagers begin to trickle in. Some left the room only 16 hours ago; others arrive, screaming and laughing, bags slung over their shoulders, dressed for the challenge ahead. Some know what awaits them, others do not, but their presence marks a rare phenomenon within our School. From that moment until the evening (around 10 p.m.), it will be in their hands whether the ephemeral fades or this unique gem shines: The Performing Arts Evening.
What is the Performing Arts Evening?
An event crafted entirely by our pupils, The Performing Arts Evening is a showcase of diverse works produced by the Senior School Drama Department. It originated in 2021, in response to the pandemic, when the traditional Musical Theatre Production became difficult to organise due to health restrictions affecting our academic practices and lifestyles.
This event highlights various expressions of theatre, live art, and performance. In the future, it may feature dance and other manifestations of performing arts, evolving as a bold and contemporary concept.
The first edition included works from both IGCSE and A-Level pupils, and the efforts to continue this tradition have only grown since then.
In this instance, the entire crew consisted of pupils from national and international programs. 2° EM students and former IGCSE pupils Amaya Selman and Tobias Eatough, opened the night by presenting the opening scene from Eugene Ionesco’s Theatre of the Absurd play The Bald Soprano, which they developed as part of their IGCSE coursework.
Context of Performing Arts Evenings
Before diving into these pieces, let’s provide some context. As part of our School’s mission, we encourage our pupils to choose elective courses within the Cambridge Assessment Curriculum. In 8° Básico, students choose from subjects and fields such as Business Studies or French. Each subject follows its own assessment path, including exams in all cases and practical coursework in specific subjects. In IGCSE Drama, coursework is a fundamental part of the process, with pupils developing three pieces that address various assessment objectives and devising processes in Drama.
One of these is an individual piece based on a monologue. Over the past two years, the Drama Department has chosen to focus on tragic monologues from the ancient or classical tradition, featuring playwrights such as Sophocles and Aeschylus. This approach aligns with the Spanish curriculum, in which pupils read plays such as Electra and Antigone. This method not only broadens the IGCSE Drama students’ understanding of repertoire—an important assessment objective—but also reinforces interdisciplinary collaboration across Departments in the Senior School.
Last year, in response to a generous invitation from the Communications team, five pupils took on the challenge of blending their individual pieces, merging texts from Medea, Richard III, and Electra to create an extraordinary piece of contemporary drama, which was performed at Old Grangonian Day 2023. Olivia Ureta, Emilia Quijada, Camila Schmidt, Laura Marchetti, and Amaya Selman experienced the thrill and energy of performing live on stage.
Long-Lasting Learning Outcomes
Reflecting on last week’s Performing Arts Evening, Tobias and Amaya’s work on Ionesco’s classic provided a clear demonstration of the standards and expectations for Drama IGCSE pupils on stage. Both students excelled in their assessments, achieving the highest possible marks with this performance.
Following this excerpt, the audience was treated to a scene from “Boom,” a group piece based on Jean Tay’s literary work, set in a contemporary Vietnamese context. This piece is being developed by 1°EM IGCSE students Emma Katz, Olivia Secondo, Agustina Nieto, and Ana Koch. The choice of this piece—suggested by Cambridge Assessment—reflects a growing trend within the IGCSE curriculum: exploring dramatic scripts from both Western and Non-Western traditions, which expands the cultural horizons and critical thinking skills of our pupils as they translate scripts into performances.
To close the first segment of the evening led by IGCSE pupils, we witnessed an original devised piece titled “Skyfall.” Original Devised Pieces are performances created, crafted, and performed by students based on various stimuli or materials provided by the teacher. For this specific piece, the pupils were tasked with developing their work by drawing inspiration from memories of their own families and heritage, engaging in research and personal inquiry within their family contexts. This approach involved not only their peers but the broader Community in our creative practices.
The result was a plot that wove together family adventures, accidents, and sorrow. Isidora Herreros, Camila Schmidt, and Emilia Quijada delivered outstanding performances and created an excellent environment for Drama A-Level student Tomás del Río, who joined the group as a last-minute substitute. The entire group displayed courage, inventiveness, and a bold performance style that challenged traditional notions of dramatic space and audience interaction by placing the performance in the middle of the Jean Jackson Assembly Hall instead of using the usual stage.
These remarkable performances not only impressed our Community but also earned the highest possible grades from Cambridge Assessment as part of their coursework, making this cohort of IGCSE Drama pupils the highest-ranked since 2016.
We share with you some videos that summarizes the work pupils have been doing since 2021: “The outcome from this performance amongst other several“.
Learn about IGCSE and A Level Programmes
At The Grange School, pupils are encouraged from the very beginning of their studies to explore different artistic formats, styles, and genres. Through their immersion in these creative practices—ranging from choir, band, and visual arts to Drama—they have the opportunity to choose, upon entering Senior School, which “path” they will follow from 8° Básico to 2°EM. This decision is made in both the national and international curriculums, the latter being the IGCSE, the outcomes of which were partially showcased that night.
The evening continued with two scenes from the MAD (National Curriculum) programme.
You can see the complete Cambridge programmes making click in the photos below.
The 2°EM pupils presented their work on “Niñas Araña,” a play written by renowned Chilean playwright Luis Barrales. Amelia Espinosa, Ema Moro, and Catalina Naylor brought to life the characters of a precarious Chile, where the play explores reflections on crime and the critical situations faced by vulnerable youth in the country. Backstage support was provided by Vicente Salgado, Mateo Ostornol, and Matilda Báez.
Following this, we saw a three-scene play titled “Under the Sun,” inspired by the works of American painter Edward Hopper and the plot of the award-winning film “Oppenheimer.”
Performers Diego Cifuentes, Gabriel Gacitúa, Lucas Boza, Matías Delgado, and Marcelo Aste interpreted, designed, and brought this creation to life as part of the national curriculum at The Grange.
A-Levels: A necessary conclusion for two years work
The programme for the evening concluded with two remarkable performances by the A-Level cohort of 2024. These group creations, based on notable dramaturgical works, included:
- “The Just Assassins” by Albert Camus / A-Level 2022-2024 performers: Emma Mac-Auliffe, Julián Contreras, Catalina Cortés, and Rosario Diez.
- “Angels in America” by Tony Kushner / A-Level 2022-2024 performers: Ethan Jana, Catalina Legassa, Nicolás Berndt, Emilia Moreno, Catalina Cortés, Ana Krefft, with assistant Isabel Soto.
These pieces explored the artistic traditions of various practitioners studied by the pupils over two years of work and were revisited and edited specifically for this event. Influences from Jerzy Grotowski, Konstantin Stanislavski, and Bertolt Brecht were evident in the staging of these performances, which represent the four practical coursework pieces that pupils must develop over the two years of the programme: an individual piece created from various literary materials, a group piece based on an artistic or literary stimulus, another piece based on the practice of specific theatrical artists, and a piece based on a dramatic text. It was this final work that we witnessed, which brought the evening to a close, showcasing the dedication and hard work of our pupils.
It is important to highlight that all current A-Level students contributed to this production in backstage roles, particularly noting the outstanding participation of Manuel Pereira and Samuel Levine in handling lighting and sound throughout the show. This experience has been a significant learning opportunity, enhancing their understanding of the performing arts.
Beyond showtime: upcoming Drama Senior events
This event and the educational processes that produced these works are crucial for pupils and their future, as detailed by María Jesús López, Head of the Drama Department at Senior School:
“Art education, in its many forms, is not just another subject in the curriculum. It is a powerful means that fosters the holistic development of our young people. Through art, pupils not only learn specific techniques and skills but also develop essential capacities for their personal and academic growth.”
This is part of the many activities our pupils engage in with the Drama Department. Since April, the Department has been working on the traditional Senior Musical Theatre Production, which in recent years has featured versions of “Mamma Mia,” “Grease,” “Hairspray,” and “Beetlejuice,” among others. This production brings together the efforts of the Music and Drama Departments.
This year’s musical, “High School Musical,” will premiere on 21st October and will involve pupils from 7° Básico through to 4°EM, Details of the dates and times for community performances will be shared soon.
Additionally, preparations are underway for a special performance to celebrate Old Grangonian Day on 5th October. Under the theme “TIME” for The Grange Arts Festival (The GRAF), a Site-Specific performance will be created by multiple pupils with the collaboration of international Drama programmes teacher Miss Nicola Vilander. This performance will engage with the School’s architecture and the sculptural works that adorn our campus, specifically interacting with the most recent sculpture by Mario Irarrázabal. We invite you to save the date in the ‘Events‘ section and enjoy the work done by our pupils.
You are cordially invited to all future events and productions of The Grange School Drama Department.
