Drama

Emerging actors attend the Drama program to develop the skills and awareness necessary to pursue a career in the theatre. The demanding two-year curriculum is built on a conservatory model, and offers classes in acting technique, improvisation, voice and speech, theatre movement, dance, singing and special topics related to the actor’s craft. Along the way, students perform in a variety of settings, including scene presentations, showcases and mainstage productions. Seniors attend the Unified Theatre Auditions each year in Chicago, where they audition for placement in top college theatre programs.

Alumni of the Governor’s School Drama program have moved on to prestigious drama programs at The Juilliard School, North Carolina School of the Arts, Guthrie Theatre, Carnegie Mellon and the Royal Academy for Dramatic Art, among others.

Drama students have had the extraordinary experience of working with the following guest artists:

Andre' De Shields  - Three-time Tony- nominated actor and Broadway legend whose credits include The Wiz, Ain't Misbehavin', Play On!, The Full Monty, Hair, and Prymate. 

Danny Hoch - Obie Award-winning performer and originator of Some People, Jails, Hospitals and  Hip Hop, and Pot Melting. Founder of the Hip Hop Theater Festival. Films include Bamboozled, The Thin Red Line, and Black Hawk Down. 

John Patrick Shanley - Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright for Doubt, he also received the Academy Award for his screenplay, Moonstruck. 

David Strathairn - Academy Award-nominated actor for his performance in Good Night and Good Luck. Other film credits include We Are Marshall, The Bourne Ultimatum, Dolores Claibourne, The River Wild, L.A. Confidential, Passion Fish, and City of Hope.