The Jesuit Theater program has been growing and flourishing magnificently for the past couple of years. More money, more participants, more viewers, and greater hype over the Jesuit co-ed theater troop has come to define our acting program as one of the school’s greatest successes. This year, however, more than just money has been put into the promising program.
As Jesuit theater participants look forward to new equipment and classes next year, they also will present the Spring One Acts Friday and Saturday May 9-10. The Friday-Saturday event will host 5 shows, 9 directors, and a night of comedy and fun for any audience. Tickets can be purchased online or at the door, but hurry because they sell out! Come out and support your fellow students in their One Act productions; a night of fun for only 5 bucks!
During this 2013-2014 school year, the theater program has been given new Mac computers with top of the line Final Cut Pro X editing software. This was truly an exciting addition to Jesuit theater because of the opportunity it has given students to try new things like creating and editing films. Mr. David Myers, who heads the theater program, said that this technology is “the most current and powerful editing software that you can buy.” This will surely provide a stark increase in video production because of the quality of technology the school has provided the program. Additionally, Mr. Myers explained that they have also been given “pro-quality Sony cameras, a few Canon DSLR’s, lighting kits, steady-cam vests, tri pods, and dollies.”
This significant jump in technology for Theater will provide the means to not only make great things for Jesuit, but it will also prepare the students for their careers in film later in college and beyond. The pro quality equipment is close to the best that any student will ever encounter and will prove highly beneficial to many participants in the program.
As Jesuit Filmmaking 1 participants look forward to using this new equipment nex year, existing senior directors hope to showcase their ability in using these new gadgets in the May 9-10 Spring One Acts. Videos made by casts of Theater students and selected senior directors for each group will play in between the actual plays themselves.
These cameras and other equipment will be primarily used for the new narrative films program that the Jesuit Stage and Film program has implemented this Spring. These films are going to make the Theater program more digital, which will appeal to the audience more because, as Mr. Myers put it, “Our culture tends to love film a lot more than theater.” In many ways, he is correct, and so the hope is that the films will improve the already stellar program, bringing new and old viewers to the plays.
The program as we know it has changed right before our eyes. In fact, the organization isn’t even known as the Theater department anymore. Instead, it bears the name of “Jesuit Stage and Film.” It may seem like a minor change, but it reflects a new shift that will allow new  classes.
Exhibiting the growing popularity of the Jesuit Arts program, the largest addition will be the new Filmmaking 1 class for this upcoming school year, which will have five sections of students.
Mr. Myers says these students will make “projects for the campus” including “films for prayer services and admissions.” In addition to making film to be shown to the school for a grade, they will submit work for outside competition.
The class, according to Mr. Myers, will be “shooting narrative films and documentaries” for the new spring festival. Directors for these narrative films will be handpicked from the sections of “Filmmaking 1.”
Freshman Jameson Mcghee, one of the selected film directors, is thrilled about the new program and films. He described it as  “a learning experience” for the participants. The students involved will get to try out all the new gadgets and see how to use the equipment even more productively in the future.
The future is bright for this program. New opportunities, experiences, and tools will be discovers to change the lives of those pursuing stage and film at Jesuit. Don’t forget about the Spring One Acts on Friday, May 9 in the Lecture Hall. This will be the culmination of theatrical productions, the highly acclaimed Comedic pieces that every Jesuit student loves.
