Theatre

Theatre Education at HNJ

Building character, confidence, relationships, and futures

At Holy Name of Jesus, Theatre Education for students in grades K-7 is designed to instill confidence, foster collaboration, and develop real-life skills. Project-based learning allows students to explore theatrical techniques while applying creativity and critical thinking across disciplines.

Early Childhood

• Kindergarten: Students discover creative expression through organized play and movement, learning stage presence, character creation, and vocal control, culminating in a graduation performance.

Lower School

• 1st Grade (Creating Characters): Students explore character development and perform an original monologue based on a real-life person.

• 2nd Grade (Puppet Theatre): Students create short plays using puppets, learning theatrical structure, backstage roles, and narrative storytelling.

• 3rd Grade (Sounds & Shakespeare): Focused on language, voice, and memorization, students interpret texts from Dr. Seuss and Shakespeare, performing a sonnet on stage.

• 4th Grade (It’s All Greek to Me): Integrating mythology and art, students create Greek theatre masks and devise mini-plays in the Ancient Greek style, presenting their work for peers and families.

Middle School

• 5th Grade (Extemporaneous Speaking): Students learn to speak confidently on the spot, responding to weekly prompts with organized ideas and strong audience engagement.

• 6th Grade (Persuasive Speaking): Students deliver structured presentations, akin to a mini “Shark Tank,” applying research, persuasion, and personal expression.

• 7th Grade (Welcome to My TED Talk!): Students create and deliver five-minute TED-style talks, developing research, technology integration, and public speaking skills.

Middle School Electives
Students passionate about theatre may choose electives to deepen their skills, including:

• Broadcast Journalism

• Music Video Production

• Musical Theatre Voice

• Musical Theatre Dance

• Set Design

• Costume Design

• Playwriting

HNJ’s Theatre program nurtures creativity, collaboration, and communication, equipping students with lifelong skills and confidence both on and off the stage.