Roosevelt High School’s Opening Act Theatre Company is nationally recognized. Over the course of , theatre teacher and director, Jo Strom Lane, has strived to build an inclusive program that can serve as a safe and exciting space for Roosevelt students interested in a theatre experience.
Theatre as an art form and over the course of history has served as a way to storytell. From ancient Greek theatre, to Shakespeare, to the modern plays and musicals we see today. Traditional theatre has proved to be highly effective and influential over the years. With most theatrical pieces making some kind of social commentary or relating to some current event, many cultures have used theatre for much more than just entertainment.
Over the course of my high school years, I have integrated theatre into my daily life in a very profound manner. I have taken theatre classes at Roosevelt all four years and have participated in productions since the return to in-person learning at the beginning of my sophomore year. I found that while the program is not without faults and while you will never get along with everybody, the sincere effect participating in RHS theatre has had on me emotionally and physically outweighs everything else. Through theatre I have met all my closest friends and built relationships that will last years after high school. The bond you create with someone when you stand on the same stage and pour months of your life together into a piece of art is truly beautiful.
During this theatrical season, Roosevelt’s Opening Act Theatre Company is putting together three productions over the course of the school year. This will include a double feature, Dec 7-9, in which they partner with Stage Left PDX to perform D.O.A and Night of the Living Dead. These one-act plays bring a spooky energy to the theatre season that will continue through to the Spring Musical, The Addams Family. The final installment of the RHS season, performed in May, is the yearly tradition of senior written and directed mini-plays called Senior Shorts.
The RHS theatre program is much larger than acting opportunities in our productions. We have students running everything from lights to costume to set design.Weather you take an acting class, a design class, or help out with productions, RHS theatre is a space where all types of creative people can find a voice and find their outlet.
I am eternally grateful for what theatre has taught me and what beautiful memories it has given me the opportunity to create. I truly believe that any situation is what you make it and while high school is a very stressful period in a teenager’s life, taking the time to find something you are truly passionate about and being able to see the outcome of your hard work is an amazing feeling. I will forever be indebted to theatre for everything it has brought me.
