This year, Megan Riedy joins the Silverado staff as the theater teacher and director. She teaches theater tech classes that cover the technical aspects of theater as well as theater classes that teach principles of acting. She also runs the theater club that puts on the school’s productions. Though hardworking teachers have worked to keep theater and theater tech going, there has not been a dedicated theater teacher at Silverado for some time. Despite difficulties as construction on our campus continues, especially since she is one of the first teachers to move to the portables, Riedy is fully prepared for her role.
“I’ve taken training through the Smith Center and theater tech training through some of the best theater tech teachers in CCSD,” Riedy said.
Riedy has also run after-school musical theater programs at other schools and has worked as a full-time teacher at Gibson and Goldfarb elementary schools. Riedy is hopeful for the year ahead and continues to feel strongly about the importance of her classes.
“It’s one of the only classes that is a fully integrated class where you’re reading, you’re writing, you’re creating, you’re debating,” Riedy said. “My theater techs do math, and it’s one of the few ways you hit pretty much all of the different curriculums while doing something that they chose to be there for. Not only do I feel passionate about it, but the kids in the class feel passionate about it, and it makes them want to be there.”
In her theater classes, Riedy has taught about pantomiming and has worked on teaching her students how to put together a short play.
“My hopes are for them to feel confident in their productions and want to participate,” Riedy said. She hopes her students will grow as performers and maybe go to competitions.
Riedy teaches multiple levels of theater tech, as she coaches students on the different things needed for a successful show, and prepares students to be able to manage all the tech for a show by themselves.
“My hope is that we are able to build a full set that is fully built by them and an entire play that’s fully built by them with costuming, makeup, all the tech stuff, everything on-stage fully done by them and all of them knowing how to do it,” Riedy said. “I kind of want all of my theater and tech to have basic understanding of all theater performances so then when they choose specialties like ‘I only want to do lights’ or ‘I only want to do sound,’ they still are qualified to do all the other things. They just get to choose what their preference is. So fully-trained humans are what I want.”
The first performance the theater techs will run this year is the One-Act festival this fall, which will be put on by the theater club.
“With some of the strengths of this year, I’m really excited for a One-Act festival where some of our seniors can show off their own ability to direct,” Riedy said.
The festival will showcase three short plays, put together by seniors, who will serve as directors, as well as the actors and theater techs of the theater club. This club meets on Tuesdays and offers theater activities and theater tech instruction for students, regardless of whether they participate in any productions. Riedy is also really excited for the musical the club will put on in the spring.
Though the theater is currently unavailable because of construction, Riedy works with the students in the classes and the club to create a space for the magic of theater at Silverado.
