On January 6-8, 2023, 10 MWHS drama students attended the New York State Theater Education Association's (NYSTEA) 26th Annual Student Conference at the Villa Roma Resort in Callicoon, New York. The New York State Theatre Education Association, a strong, statewide organization of theatre educators, promotes and supports theatre education for students in grades pre-K through 12. This is the first year that MWHS has sent representatives to the NYSTEA Student Conference.
This conference created an opportunity for more than 500 high school students from all over New York State to come together for a full weekend of learning and peer interaction. Students attended workshops offered by colleges, universities and other theatre professionals, networked with one another and experienced a variety of performances throughout the conference.
In the more than 100 workshop offerings, students received expert instruction in technical theatre, acting, dance and voice. Meeting and sharing interests with other similarly-minded students from every region of the state is paramount in working collaboratively, gaining self-confidence and exploring new areas of learning.
Highlights of the weekend for MWHS students include:
- Students heard from Keynote speaker, Broadway star, Patti Murin, who sang a selection from her most recent Broadway role as Anna in Frozen (students also were able to do a meet & greet afterwards)
- One of our students, Joseph Grueiro, was selected to perform in the Student Showcase
(out of 550 students) - M-W took 3rd place in the Tech Challenge (despite it being our first year!) out of 10 teams
- Students each participated in workshops in acting, musical theatre, and tech topics presented by industry leaders and accomplished professionals in the theatre world
- Students had a wonderful time at the Winter Ball (dinner, show, dancing)
- Students met and worked with over 500 students from high schools and drama programs all over New York State
- Some of the activities included karaoke, sing-a-longs, theatre games, improv, indoor rock climbing, bounce, bowling, yoga, swim, dancing, and parlor games
NYSTEA believes that theatre is an essential component of a pre-K-12 education for all students. Studying theatre in schools develops abilities needed for the 21st century including critical thinking, problem solving skills, applications of technology, social responsibility and creativity. In addition to the annual Student Conference, NYSTEA provides resources to educators teaching theatre in the classroom, directing school drama and musical presentations, and hosts professional learning opportunities for teachers throughout the year.