Welcome to the

Haverford Middle School Theater

FAQ (Frequently asked questions)

What are you looking for at an audition?  How well can you sing on pitch?  How well can you project?  How clearly do you speak? How much "personality" do you project? How poised are you?  We anticipate about 100-150 students going out for the show.  Basically, that means that you have about 30 seconds to make us say "Wow! This kid is terrific."  

What can I do to improve myself as a performer? There are basically four things you can do:  

     1.  Practice (lots).  Sing at home.  Check out a play, books with monologues, or dialogues to read out loud.  These materials are available at bookstores and libraries.  Practice making these characters look and sound real.  Practice in a mirror so you can see yourself.  

     2.  Take lessons (singing, acting, dance -- any or all).  There are lots of schools, teachers, and classes available.  Check the yellow pages or the theater links (click here).  

     3.  Gain experience.  The more you perform the better you will get.  The more experience you have with different directors, the more you will learn.  Become a "fan" of theater.  Go see as many productions (amateur, school, community, professional) as you have time and money that you can afford to spend on it.

     4. Study.  Read about acting, singing, and dance technique.  Read about the particular production.  Understand the play, the characters, the time, and location.  Bring this knowledge into your portrayal of the character.  Study people.  What do they do when they are happy, sad, in love, angry, depressed, scared, etc.... Work those reactions into your characters when your characters feel those emotions.  Practice those reactions until you can make them seem real.

In all cases, you learn best from experience.  Check out local theaters, churches, schools, colleges....find a place to perform and someone who is willing to teach you.

Can I do the show and play on a sports team? The short answer to that is yes, but sort of.  Remember that when you are on a team, you need to make a commitment to that team.  When you are in a show, you need to make a commitment to that show.  Since at HMS, sports and theater practice at the same time, doing both means that you sacrifice your commitment to both groups.  Depending upon your talent, work ethic, and that of your colleagues, you can do both, but you may have to accept diminished roles in one, the other, or both.  

Are all of the roles open? Yes.  When we select a show, we look at our population to make sure that we have people available to play the parts that are available.  We have an idea of who we think might have the ability to play a particular role, but these parts are COMPLETELY open, and will be decided based upon the auditions.

Do I have to audition to be in the chorus? No, but we encourage all chorus members to audition.  There are small roles (chorus roles) that may only have one or two lines to them.  We'd like to hear everyone sing and possibly even read a line or two.

What do I need to do to be on stage crew? Check in with the art teachers in the fall.  Listen to the announcements.  All of the students who help backstage assist in building and painting the set.

What do I need to do to be a production assistant? Check with Mr. Braverman.  Positions are currently open to assist with lighting, sound, props, costumes, stage managing, and production coordinating.

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Haverford Middle School Theater Website

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This website is maintained for the Haverford Middle School Theater Company,

Haverford Middle School

c/o Mr. Michael Braverman

1701 Darby Road

Havertown, PA 19083

610-853-5900 x5122

braverman@havsd.net