Fine Arts

Theater Arts

Our dynamic and creative Theatre Program is well known for its Cappies, a writing and awards program that trains high school theater and journalism students to be expert writers, critical thinkers, and leaders. As a charter member of the first Cappies, our students are well-versed as analytical writers and thinkers. All students at Bishop Ireton are welcome to apply to be a Cappies critics.

In addition, every student is always welcome to audition for any of the Bishop Ireton stage productions. Two shows are produced each year, one in the Fall and one in the Spring. The Drama Club is also open to each student in the school who is interested in any aspect of Theater.  This includes acting, stage crew, costuming, designing, or attending shows and drama workshops as a group.

Click here to read more about specific theater classes.

A recent article in education.com stated that theater addresses the skills which benefit children’s education and development in five areas: Physical (kinesthetic), Artistic (creative), Mental (reasoning), Personal (intrapersonal), & Social (interpersonal)

Theater Staff

List of 9 members.

  • Mrs. Joanna Henry 

    Director of Theater Arts

  • Mrs. Carly (Maalouf) Walbert 

    Assistant Director of Theater Arts
    Bishop Ireton High School
    University of Mary Washington

  • Ms. Bethany Candalor 

    Technical Director
    Bishop Ireton High School

  • Mr. Sean Scalsky 

    Assistant Technical Director
    Bishop Ireton High School
    Virginia Commonwealth University

  • Ms. Kimberly  Crago 

    Lighting Instuctor

  • Mr. Brian Bowman 

    Sound Instructor

  • Ms. Colleen Harden 

    Painting Instructor

  • Ms. Laurie Candalor 

    Costuming Teacher

  • Mrs. Judith (Larson) Harmon 

    University Of Texas - Arlington - BA


Fall Show 2018

Thank you to everyone who attened our fall show, Radium Girls, and supported our Theater Program. Thank you as well to our dedicated Theatre Team, including Joanna Henry, Carly Walbert, Bethany Candalor, Sean Scalsky, Kimberly Crago, Brian Bowman, Laurie Candalor, Judith Harmon, as well as all our parents, faculty, and staff for their hard work to support the show. Below are some final thoughts about the show.

Cappies Reviews

"Though miracles may not be common, with a stunning cast, stellar tech and an overall amazing production that ran like clockwork, Bishop Ireton High School's performance of "Radium Girls" may certainly be a miracle of theatre itself." - Mary Kate Ganley of McLean High School

"Bishop Ireton's Radium Girls is a harrowing play about the struggle and eventual success of the poor girls who gave their lives for a cause. It's heartrendingly beautiful narrative consists of strong characters, crew and choices, and is a memorable experience in every aspect." - Aidan Wilbur of Thomas S. Wootton High School

"Long after the girls' time expired, the radium watches are still ticking. While they may not have found a cure, the girls found a measure of justice. Bishop Ireton's moving production of Radium Girls reminded the audience of how ignorance as a result of apathy is the most dangerous killer." - by Julia Tucker of Westfield High School

"Through honest character presentation by the entire cast and several impressive technical elements, Bishop Ireton movingly tells the story of the Radium Girls." - Joshua Mutterperl of Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology

Membership in the BI Drama Club is open to any student in the school who is interested in Theater, including acting, stage crew, costuming, designing, or attending shows and drama workshops as a group. Student leaders work hard to make the club active, open and inclusive. The various areas of BI productions are part of one community and work together as a team. There are regular meetings throughout the year to plan and allow the entire club to come together and discuss ideas.






Drama Club Officers 18-19

  • President: Jake Carlo
  • Vice President: Olivia Hays
  • Treasurer: Libby York  
  • Secretary: Gaby Garcia
  • Underclass Representatives: Maya Andersen and Dagny Scannell
  • Drama Club Mentor: Mrs. Carly Walbert
The International Thespian Society (ITS), founded in 1929, is an honorary organization for high school and middle school theatre students located at more than 4,200 affiliated secondary schools across America, Canada, and abroad. The mission of ITS is to honor student achievement in the theatre arts. High school inductees are known as Thespians and junior high/middle school inductees are known as Junior Thespians. ITS is a division of the Educational Theatre Association (EdTA).

The Thespian troupe is a subset of our theatre arts program. It is the student honor society, a separate student organization, and membership is earned. Any student may be a member of the theatre program, but only students who have been officially inducted and registered with the EdTA national office are members of the theatre program and the International Thespian Society.
 

2018/2019 Troupe 3418 members

  • President: Olivia Hays
  • Vice President: Jake Carlo
  • Secretary: Kathleen McNerney
  • Artistic Director: Celia Curry 
  • ITS Mentor: Ms. Joanna Henry

“Theatre is a science. Theatre is mathematical. Theatre is a foreign language. Theatre is history. Theatre is physical education. Theatre is language arts. Theatre is business. Theatre is technology. Theatre is economics. Theatre is taught in schools, not because you are expected to major in theatre, not because you are expected to perform all through life, not so you can relax, not so you can have fun, BUT so you will recognize beauty, so you will be sensitive, so you will be closer to an infinite beyond this world, so you will have more love, more compassion, more gentleness, more good, in short, more life. What value will it be to make a prosperous living unless you know how to live? That is why theatre is taught in our schools.” (upstagereview.org/advocacy)