Theatre Arts is curently taught at Western Beaver by Mr. Hixon. It focuses on the ins and outs of all types of acting.


Plays began as a Greek tradition to honor the goddess Dionysus. They were divided into two categories: comedies and tragedies. All the players were male, as females were not allowed to be on the stage. In fact, women weren't even allowed to come and watch the plays until much later.
The first real actor was Thespis. He stepped out from the chorus, a group of people who narrated the story, and held a dialogue with the audience. Since then, actors have also been referred to as "Thespians."


Mime Recently, the theatre arts classes have been working on something called "mime." Mime is a silent form of acting where the actor uses body language and facial expressions to depict a scene. There are no props in mime; the actor must depict all objects simply by gestures, such as putting a hand flat on a wall. This form of drama is actually much harder than it looks; imaginary furniture and walls require a lot of concentration.


Monologues The classes have also been working on "monologues." A monologue is a speech or passage spoken by one person, talking to themselves, the audience, or another (silent) person. Some of the monologues chosen for class were very dramatic and sad, while others are comedic and light. The challenge to reading a monologue is becoming that character. The actor can no longer be themselves; that is why it is so important to develop characters so that they have backgrounds and personalities.