Music & Drama

In addition to our art program, Saint Mary’s High School offers a course in Music & Drama.

This course introduces students to the art and history of music and drama. Through demonstrations, study, and performance, students gain an appreciation for these art forms. Students learn the history of Western music, and the principles of acting and directing, along with current events in these fields. A survey of plays from the early 20th century through the present day are read and analyzed. A representative sample of musicals and composers are examined throughout the year. The practical aspects of music and drama are emphasized, including involvement in the school drama performances.

This is an “appreciation” course. Throughout the year, students are expected to demonstrate their appreciation for the artistry and design aesthetic present in plays, classical music, and dramatic music. This is a survey course in which we briefly examine major classical musical eras and composers; representative plays of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries; and representative musicals of the entire history of American musical theater. Emphasis is placed on contemporary examples so students appreciate the current state of music and drama in the United States.