Signature in the Schools presents Un-American.

Free public performances: February 6 and 10, 2012 at 7:30 PM.

General Seating.  Reservations recommended. Please call the Box Office at 703 820 9771.

Two rival high schools, Southwest High and Northeast High, are neck-to-neck in the final rounds of Brain Drain, a local television game show. The questions onstage and offstage are the same: What does it mean to be Un-American? What makes a good citizen? As tension escalates between the two teams and the game nears its end, answers come in a way none of the students could have ever expected: A surprise interrogation by the House of Un-American Activities Committee. The students, inexplicably trapped in one of America’s darkest eras, are each confronted with questions of identity and integrity as they deal with accusations of being Un-American. Featuring professional actor, Jason Lott, and a cast and crew made up entirely of students from Arlington high schools, this is one performance you won’t want to miss!

Signature Theatre’s education program Signature in the Schools, now in its seventeenth year, uses theatre to open the minds and broaden the viewpoints of local teens while engaging them in a positive and creative experience. A recipient of The Washington Post’s prestigious Community Service Award, Signature in the Schools reaches approximately 750 students annually through theatre workshops, in-class discussions, an after-school program and the production of an original play.

 

 

Signature in the Schools was founded in 1995. The program had its start with the idea of casting age-appropriate actors in plays. Using the strong ties already forged between Signature and Wakefield High School, and drawing on the inspiration of then-drama instructor Judy Klevins, the first Signature in the Schools production was presented on the Signature stage for just two performances, to an audience of friends and family.

Today, the Signature in the Schools’ productions run for seven performances, five of them to students bussed in from schools throughout Arlington County. Each student receives an in-depth study guide, researched and written by Education Director Marcia Gardner. Most also receive classroom visits by Gardner where students explore the worlds of history and theatre and have the chance to rehearse and perform a scene from the play.

In 2004, Gardner, who has been a driving force in the program since its second year, added a series of workshops for Wakefield freshman, exploring issues of plot, character, dialogue and theatrical staging. The partnership with Wakefield and its current drama instructor has ensured the program’s lasting success.

“We always cast from Wakefield,” Gardner explained, “and they always amaze us.” The students are expected to be more than just promising actors. Since each production is a world premiere, the cast is also expected to share their thoughts on the historic period, to ask evocative questions, and to have a hand in the development of the play.

 

 

A professional actor always joins the student casts onstage as a colleague and mentor. Past actors that have participated in the program include Paul Morella and Harry A. Winter.

“The students learn a lot about the theatre,” Gardner shared. “We hold them to a professional standard and they rise to it every year. But this program is about much more than theatre training. I feel strongly that combining history and theatre gives us all a chance to look at the world in a new way, to be more responsible citizens, to think, to empathize. That’s what Signature in the Schools is about.”

Signature is the Schools is made possible by generous donations from the community. To support this educational program by making a gift, please contact Signature’s Development office at 571 527 1828 or development@signature-theatre.org.