Theatre Arts

Theatre Arts are vitally important to our student culture and include everything that happens on our stage as well as behind the scenes. We use students for every single part of the process of putting on a show; from costume design to sound design, dance captains and stage managers, set building and spotlight, students learn to do all of these things and run everything you see during a live performance at TEC! Most of our students cast in a show also have a hand in what happens backstage to put our shows together and take tremendous pride in their work. 

We do two All-School mainstage shows per year (All-School meaning our middle school and high school students work together in the same shows). We perform a play in the fall in our incredible Black Box Theatre and a musical on our proscenium stage, The Fisher Auditorium, in the spring.

Students also have the opportunity to participate in a student directed/student written work in April/May of each year.

Englewood is the proud home of Thespian Troupe #3305 and the high school attends the amazing ThesCon in Downtown Denver every December with 5000+ other Theatre Arts students from around our state. At ThesCon, students take workshops with industry professionals in acting, dance, set design, improv, play-writing, directing and much more. Students also view One-Act play competition pieces and have the opportunity to compete in scenes and solos. There are scholarship auditions for junior and senior students. Students also see the two winning show submissions for the entire state of Colorado live on stage in the Denver Convention Center. 

In classes at TEC, students work toward growing in the three Theatre state standards: Create, Perform, and Critically Respond.

In our Create standard, students learn how to make believable characters and write scripts. Students learn how costumes and props factor in to a show. Students are trained in stage movement including dance and stage combat (coming soon!).

In our Perform standard, students learn how to be comfortable standing in front of their peers and how to bring a work to fruition on the stage. Students perform for each other in class, for school assemblies, for neighboring elementary schools and community organizations, as well as on film so they can watch their work and understand how to continue growing in their skills.

In our Critically Respond standard, students learn how to use Theatre to understand and influence their world. Students participate in process drama to apply the human element to historical works or to learn how to solve problems in our world today. Students also view and critique performances around the state of Colorado, broadening their world view and critical eye. High school students have the opportunity to go to CSU and watch a final dress rehearsal for a mainstage show and have Q&A with the cast and crew. Each year, we bring Shakespeare in the Parking Lot from the DCPA and watch a wonderful 30 minute Shakespearean piece and participate in workshops with the cast/crew. We also bring Phamaly Theatre Company to our school and participate in Q&A with their wonderful cast/crew, 100% comprised of individuals with varying degrees of special needs, including physical, emotional and mental needs.

Our Theatre Arts department finishes the year with a Red Carpet Awards Night, where students dress to the nines and celebrate their theatrical achievements with an awards presentation with trophies and certificates and letters, sparkling cider toasts and desserts, a photo booth, and the unveiling of the upcoming theatrical season.