Arts

Theater

Choreographer Showcase

Four top-notch choreographers including Mary Cadorette-Daly, Avery Casasanta, Rosie Karabetos, and Geo Mantilla, came to Kingswood Oxford to work with students for ten weeks.

These choreographers are working actors, Broadway performers, dancers, musicians, photographers, arts advocates, athletic dancers, ballerina, and street dancers. The student-dancers performed five incredible pieces. Read more about this incredible opportunity that Kingswood Oxford's award-winning theater program executed.

Broadway at KO

What do you get when you have an award-winning theater program? An award-winning lineup of Broadway's top talent coming to work with you. This past year Kingswood was thrilled to host three of Broadway's best names, each of whom ran a masterclass with our young thespians. Stay tuned for more big names coming in the 2019-20 season!
Autumn Hurlbert's accolades include Broadway, national tours, regional theater, off Broadway and television including lead roles in Legally Blonde, Something Rotten, Little Women, Beauty and the Beast, Les Miserables, Evita, Tomorrow Morning and The Sound of Music, Live! Hulbert ran a masterclass where she guided student performances through presentation, nuances of character, and presence.
In May of 2019, Ben Fankhauser's came to KO to run a masterclass. His Broadway credits include (Newsies, Original Broadway Cast), National Tours: Spring Awakening, Beautiful - The Carole King Musical. Television/Film: The Deuce, Twenty Something, It Could Be Worse, and Submissions Only. Fankhauser originated the role of Davey in Newsies at Paper Mill Playhouse before bringing the show to Broadway.
Jessica Lee Goldyn (A CHORUS LINE, TUCK EVERLASTING, FINDING NEVERLAND, and more!) held a Broadway Masterclass in New York City with KO students focusing on dance audition training combined with a physical technique workshop. She taught a rigorous physical warm-up, audition combinations, and finessed technique all while providing individual feedback to each student!
Appearing in 10 Broadway shows and with over 40 film and television credits, Broadway triple threat Deidre Goodwin came to KO in January and did a master class with theater students. Goodwin played Sheila Bryant in the 2006 revival of A Chorus Line, then followed that role with a star turn as Velma Kelly in Chicago in 2009.

AWARD WINNING CHICAGO

In the spring of 2019, the Kingswood Oxford theater department delivered a show-stopping performance of the Broadway classic CHICAGO. The production took home several HALO awards and earned the performers top recognition in the state and beyond. 

Past Seasons

Director of Theater Kyle Reynolds

Kyle is an award-winning director with an accomplished career in theater education and directing. His accomplished work spans Western CT State University, Post University, Goodwin College, and the Greater Hartford Academy of the Arts. Under Kyle's instruction, his students have achieved successful careers in both Broadway and off-Broadway productions as well as national tours. At the college level, Kyle's students have also gained acceptance to elite musical theater universities: Baldwin Wallace, Shenandoah, Ithaca, New York University Tisch and the University of Michigan. Kyle, a performer himself, who is trained in the Sanford Meisner technique, continues to be inspired by the creativity and hunger for theatrical training at KO.
  • The Reynold's Review
    Calling all thespians! Do you ever find yourself with a list of local theater productions you want to attend but aren't sure where to start? Director of Theater Kyle Reynolds is bringing the stage to you. What is a must-see? Show-stopping? Kyle will check out as many as he can and let you know what is on his shortlist.

The Process

Students have the opportunity to register for several artistic electives to further their craft within a process-based learning environment. Students learn the following skills in the following classes

List of 4 frequently asked questions.

  • Public Speaking

    Students will engage in the art of public speaking within an effort to become more comfortable with their communication skills and presenting material to a group of people. We will study various aspects, techniques and strategies to assist in the utmost successful delivery possible. Skills learned, informative speaking, persuasive speaking, imagery, debate, eye contact, posture, diction, establishing credibility and research.

  • Introduction to Musical Theater

     This is a triple threat class that focuses on singing, dancing and acting within an introductory setting. Students are assigned condensed scene study projects, audition prep repertoire and choreography. Students begin with researching characters and researching repertoire material. This class heavily focuses on the importance of ensemble. 
     
     

  • Scene Study

    Students engage in a number of small ensemble numbers that build on the attributed combination of incorporating singing, acting and dancing into one piece. Students work on both contemporary and classical work to further their repertoire. 

  • Advanced Musical Theory

    After building your introductory skills, we move into a more advanced setting where students learn a variety of training/technical skills within an effort to build their theatrical craft. Students dive into full length monologues, songs and choreography pieces. Students participate in a number of full length scene study pieces along with several audition prep opportunities. By this point, students should have built a repertoire book should they be interested in applying to BFA Musical Theater Programs.

The Product

Kingswood offers several performance opportunities throughout the academic school year:
 

List of 3 frequently asked questions.

The Facilities

The 585-seat Roberts Theater
A malleable Black Box Theater
A Professional Dance Studio

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Contact

Located in West Hartford, CT just steps from Blue Back Square, Kingswood Oxford is a private school inspiring co-ed day students in grades 6-12 with a college preparatory curriculum. Empowered students become clear confident communicators, resourceful problem-solvers, and ethical leaders. KO: where unlimited potential meets endless opportunities.
Copyright 2018. Kingswood Oxford.