Current Season

We produce several Main Stage and Second Stage shows each year.  Main Stage shows are produced by the program as extracurricular activities.  These shows are done with full support for technical aspects. The auditions and crews for these shows are open to all students.  Second Stage shows are typically student produced and driven.  This includes budgets, casting, technical needs, etc.  Special events include any outside group, such as the University of Texas, or culminating events like the End-of-Year Exhibition.

Main Stage
Metamorphoses October 4-6, 11-13 @ 8pm Oct 7 & 17 @ 2pm [Lab Theatre]	Oedipus Rex October 25-27 @ 8pm Oct 28 @ 2pm [Fine Arts Theatre]	Toys Take Over Christmas Dec 1 - 22, Sat @ 10am Sun @ 2pm [Scottish Rite Theatre]
Once on this Island Feb. 19-24 @ 8pm Feb 24 @ 2pm [Fine Arts Theatre]	The Green Bird March 27-29 @ 8pm March 30 @ 2pm [Lab Theatre]	Whole World Theatre Student Rep April 24-26 @ 7:30pm May 27 @ 2pm [Fine Arts Theatre]
Second Stage			Special Events
Musical Revue - Origins December 7 & 8 @ 7pm *dates are tentative	Fashion Show January 19 @ 7pm	Lab Musical May 23 & 24 7pm	End-of-Year Expo Freshman - May 8* Sophomore - May 16* Junior/Senior -May 9* Tech/Design - May 30*

Metamorphoses: a play by Mary Zimmerman

First performed by students at Northwestern University, where playwright Zimmerman is a professor of performance studies, this play opened at Broadway's Circle on the Square Theatre in March 2002.  Based on Ovid's transformation myths, the play subtly mixes the ancient stories of pathos and tragedy with cotemporary language, humor, and thought, all enacted in and around a large pool of water in the center of the stage.  The themes of love, the inevitability of change, and the human ability to adapt to change are timeless, as is amply demonstrated by the sometimes eerie closeness of a vignette to the original lines from Ovid, which still manage to resonate with modern viewers.

Oedipus Rex by Sophocles

The play begins years after Oedipus is given the throne of Thebes. The chorus of Thebans cries out to Oedipus for salvation from the plague sent by the gods in response to Laius' murder. Throughout the play, Oedipus searches for Laius' murderer and promises to exile the man responsible for it, ignorant of the fact that he is the murderer. The blind prophet, Tiresias, is called to aid Oedipus in his search; however, after warning Oedipus not to follow through with the investigation, Oedipus accuses him of being the murderer, even though Tiresias is blind and aged. Oedipus also accuses Tiresias of conspiring with Creon, Jocasta's brother, to overthrow him.

Oedipus then calls for one of Laius' former servants, the only surviving witness of the murder, who fled the city when Oedipus became king to avoid being the one to reveal the truth. Soon a messenger from Corinth also arrives to inform Oedipus of the death of Polybus, whom Oedipus still believes is his real father. At this point the messenger informs him that he was in fact adopted and his real parentage is unknown. In the subsequent discussions between Oedipus, Jocasta, the servant, and the messenger, Jocasta guesses the truth and runs away. Oedipus is stubborn; however, a second messenger arrives and reveals that Jocasta has hanged herself and Oedipus, upon discovering her body, blinds himself with the golden brooches on her dress. The play ends with Oedipus entrusting his children to Creon and leaving in exile, as he promised would be the fate of Laius' murderer.

Toys Take Over Christmas by Patricia Clapp-Cone

This year, we will team up with Second Youth Family Theatre to present a children's theatre piece aimed at upper-elementary and middle school students.  The production will feature members of Second Youth and McCallum's company on stage, in design roles, and probably performing at two different venues as the show transitions from an Academy production to a Second Youth production somewhere in the community.

A hardhearted and selfish Toymaker refuses to sell the toys he makes.  He thinks they are all prefect you see.  But his magic has made them almost real. So real in fact that they want to escape the toy shop and play with real children.  When one doll finds a jar of magical hearts, she gives one to each of the other toys. She decides to rally the toys around her in hopes of changing the Toymaker's own heart.

Will they succeed? Only the audience will know.
 

Musical Revue - Origins

With a growing musical theatre program at the Fine Arts Academy, our new Musical Theatre class will perform a revue of songs cataloguing the evolution of the American Musical. From Greek times to liturgical works, opera and all the way up to West Side Story, learn how America put its stamp on one of the most popular performance forms in the world.

Fashion Show

For the third year in a row, this all student produced fashion show will hit the McCallum stage. If the first two years were any indicator, expect great things!

Once On This Island by Ahrens and Flaherty

ONCE ON THIS ISLAND  was Ahrens' and Flaherty's first real taste of success (they went on to write the hit RAGTIME: The Musical, SEUSSICAL THE MUSICAL, the film ANASTASIA, and the stage version of the film MY FAVORITE YEAR). Based on the novel My Love, My Love by Rosa Guy,  the show is a twist on the traditional "Little Mermaid" tale, and tells the story of Ti Moune, a poor peasant girl who falls in love with Daniel, an upper class boy whose life she saves after a car crash. Central to the story are four gods that the peasants believe rule their lives. The gods of Love , (Erzulie) Earth (Asaka), Water (Agwe) , and Death (Papa Ge) cause the lives of the young lovers to intersect, and send Ti Moune on the fateful journey that tests the strength of her love.

Set in the French Antilles, Once On This Island boasts a score that is immediately and continually reflective of this locale. There are rousing, upbeat numbers like "Mama Will Provide," and "Some Say," as well as poignant ballads like "The Human Heart"and "Forever Yours". While some of the numbers stand on their own, there can be no mistaking a song from "Once On This Island" with a song from any other show, because Ahrens and Flaherty never betray the story's Caribbbean roots.

Once On This Island originated at Playwrights Horizons on April 6, 1990. It opened at the Booth Theater on Broadway on October 18, 1990 and played for 469 performances. The show also received eight Tony Award Nominations, including Best Musical, Best Score and Best Book. On May 12, 2002, the original Broadway cast reunited for a special two concert benefit performance benefitting Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS and the Cantor Fitzgerald Relief Fund.

The Green Bird by Carlo Gozzi

"The Tale of the Green Bird is the most daring play that ever issues from my inkwell," declared Carlo Gozzi.

Renzo and Barbarina are twins of King Tartaglia who were supposed to have been killed at birth. However, they were found and adopted by a poor sausage-seller.  The tale follows the twins' comically tumultuous rite of passage through the temptations of desire and vanity.

Whole World: Student Rep 08

As is the tradition, the last main stage show of the year is an entirely student affair.  They choose, direct, cast, design, and produce the repertory production of shows.  This year they take on non-western theatre.  From Latin America to South Asia and Africa, the plays chosen will feature different cultures and different stories.

TBA Musical Featuring the songs of Cole Porter

Through devised theatre work, the students of the Musical Theatre class will present a world-premiere musical featuring music by Cole Porter.  They will invent and write the story, design, choreograph and perform this original work as a culminating project for the year.

End of Year Expo!

Theatre Academy students at all levels participate in an end of year event to present their final projects. These often include scenes, monologue work, devised pieces, and portfolio presentations.