Young thespians thrive in these creative Catholic school communities

This May 17, three Catholic school theatre programs of the Archdiocese of Newark were among the victors in the annual “Foxy Award” theatre competition sponsored by Montclair State University. Garnering 29 nominations and four wins, the trio – Immaculate Heart Academy, Washington Township; Mount St. Dominic Academy, Caldwell; and Don Bosco Prep, Ramsey – were recognized for their talents both on and behind the stage in a wide variety of genres, including musicals, dramas, and classics.  

Despite the short-lived rush of excitement while clutching the golden statue, the students, technicians, directors, and faculty advisors have set their sights on a higher goal; beneath the glittery costumes and greasepaint lies a singular message: Catholic values are the building blocks for these students’ professional careers and faith lives. 

It’s so nice to have you back where you belong… 

You’d best forgive Taryn Tonelli, coordinator of the performing arts at Immaculate Heart Academy (IHA), if she states she never truly left the Washington Township regional Catholic all-girls high school.  

“I graduated in 2009,” she chuckled. “The musical director and choreographer who were teaching me then still work here, and now I work with them.” The school garnered 11 “Foxy” nominations and took home a trophy for Outstanding Achievement by an Actress in a Contemporary Musical: “Legally Blonde.”  

IHA aims to “use the visual and performing arts as creative expression, communication of ideas, and service to the community,” its website states, and that direction dovetails with Tonelli’s criteria for casting the dramas, musicals, and children’s theater produced each year. 

Story continues after photos of IHA's production of "Legally Blonde"

“I look for female-driven story lines, which feature as much talent as possible,” she explained. “There should be a hearty ensemble of singers and dancers. We invite male actors from surrounding schools, even public schools. It’s good for our girls to see other faiths and cultures.” 

As for the productions themselves, Tonelli continued, “We make sure they will excite the community. We give a study guide to teachers for the children’s shows in case they want to do a lesson plan. [All shows have] values in line with the teachings of the Church and our school.” 

Tonelli freely admitted most of the girls will not go on to professional theatre, yet the skills and values they learn are transferable to their work in any field. 

“Theatre provides hands-on experience in how to collaborate with peers, think creatively, take direction and communicate,” she enumerated. “Problem solving can help you in any career path, or in life.” 

IHA junior Isabella Falletta agreed, saying theatre “has taught me confidence and collaboration skills that I use in my everyday life.” Sophomore Brooke Rodriguez added that performing arts “gives me and my friends an outlet to be creative and dive deep into interesting topics.” Junior Maeve Murray was grateful for the “supportive and hard-working environment” which nurtured “life skills such as communication, time management, problem solving and advocating for myself.” 

Another opening, another show 

A lot can change in 13 years, asserted Michelle Posner, director of performing arts at Mount St. Dominic Academy in Caldwell. 

“I remember our first musical [in 2009], ‘Anything Goes.’ We started with three tech girls, and not enough actors to cast,” Posner said. “Now, this year with ‘Newsies,’ we had 65 girls in the spring musical.” 

More than a decade later, the female tech crew’s contributions continue to shine. This year’s “Foxy” awards saw nine nominations and two wins from the all-girls Catholic high school – one for Outstanding Achievement by a Student Costume Technician for “Newsies,” the second for Outstanding Achievement by a Student Scenic Technician for a Play or Musical for “Comedy of Errors.”  

Posner invites boys from local schools to participate in the plays, spring musicals and classics, “but with COVlD, the boys disappeared, and we did an all-girls production of ‘Newsies,’” she said. The waning of the pandemic has reinforced many of the core Dominican pillars – community, service, spirituality, and study – in the girls’ virtual life skill toolboxes. 

Story continus after photos of Mount St. Dominic's production of "A Comedy of Errors"

Though freely admitting most of the girls will not pursue acting as a profession, Posner believes, nonetheless, theatre arts hold value. She stated, “They learn math, building sets, using power tools, teamwork, public speaking, empathy… So many of these skills have been missing after COVID.” 

Student actors and technicians agree. Molly Schweitzer, a Mount St. Dominic Academy junior, shared that theatre “allows me to tap into my creativity through set build,” while classmate Bridget Castano relished how “we grew close as a team every day.” Freshman Shayla Montgomery attributed her academic successes to the theatre arts; “it motivates me to make my voice heard [and] feel unafraid of situations like asking questions in class.” 

A walking shadow… that struts and frets his hour upon the stage… 

Though its Foxy Award win was for a tragedy, the Don Bosco Prep theatre arts program is a triumph on, off, and beyond the stage.  

The Ramsey all-boys secondary school received nine nominations and took home top honors for Outstanding Achievement in Live or Original music for the Shakespeare classic “Macbeth.” Not resting on its laurels, the school is fulfilling its goal to “empower young men through the formation of life skills, creativity, self-expression and self-confidence through theatrical experiences,” asserted Brooke DeBettignies, Don Bosco Prep theatre program director. 

Story continues after photos of Don Bosco's productions of "Grease" and "Macbeth"

“We use an interdisciplinary approach,” she continued, “and see how to use the theatre arts in other realms.” Studying “Macbeth” in their English class, the boys learned the play’s pivotal monologues and their most accurate portrayal… even when the classical wordplay changed to swordplay.  

“There was legit broadsword play,” DeBettignies said with admiration. “They did an amazing job of physicalizing the story.” 

Sharp objects aside, all plays have their own life skills to impart. Each is selected with the interests of the community in mind, and females are recruited from surrounding schools; “parents of the students say the friendships they form are lifelong,” she added.  

“Actors have the space to express themselves, feel empathy, develop self-confidence, make presentations, and think on their feet,” DeBettignies concluded. 

Don Bosco thespians agree. “There are so many opportunities to become involved in something, and the more you work, the more you’re encouraged to step out of your comfort zone,” said senior Luke Mark. Classmate Anthony Gibbons called the theatre arts program “a welcoming presence in the school.”  

And, because great theatre is all about timing, let’s give Don Bosco Prep junior Anthony Proia the last word: 

“There is no greater way to practice public speaking and stepping out of one’s comfort zone than singing and dancing whilst wearing kneepads and a wig in front of a capacity crowd.”