Theatre Arts

The mission of the Footlighters, Mercy's drama organization, is to provide students with an expanding number of opportunities to learn and develop in all areas of the Theatre Arts. For students interested in performance, the Footlighters produce two main stage productions in The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Auditorium as well as their annual Coffeehouse. In 2005, the Footlighters created a new Children's Theatre Group for performance both on and off campus. Participation in all productions is open to all Mercy High School students. For students interested in the technical aspects of theatre, the Footlighters offer a number of opportunities, including set design and construction, light design and operation, sound design and operation, costumes and make-up. Recent Footlighters productions include Shakespeare's Henry V and Romeo and Juliet, a new adaptation of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, and the Children's Theatre productions of The Emperor's New Clothes and The Littlest Angel.

Mr. Raymond M. Stoddard, moderator of Mercy's Footlighters, is a former member of Actors Equity and the Screen Actors Guild. He worked in professional theatre until becoming a teacher in 1991.

Mercy High School holds a charter as Troupe 6245 of the International Thespian Society. Founded in 1929, the society works to promote and strengthen Theatre Art in education. Membership in the society is granted for demonstrated excellence in and commitment to Theatre Arts.

Elective course offerings in Theatre Arts are designed to introduce students to theory and practice, techniques of acting, and the evaluation of theatrical products. Introduction to Theatre serves to expose students to the theory and practice of the theatre and its crafts, including acting, directing, design and production. In Women and Theatre, students obtain a historical perspective of women in playwriting, acting and directing, and apply contemporary issues to the practice, text and criticism of the stage. In Introduction to Acting students participate in scene work, class exercises and written analyses of theatre and characters.