Is High School Theater Important? Local Student Critics Explain Why

Everyone's a critic? Well, for 120 students from high schools throughout St. Louis and St. Charles counties, they're not officially critics until they've gotten their training from The Cappies, the national student theater critics program.

Students from 15 area high schools converged on Rockwood Summit High School on Saturday for a morning of training in how to write reviews, the rules of The Cappies program and tips on theater etiquette.

Patch tagged along to find out why some of the aspiring scribes think theater is important in their lives, their schools and the world. Check the photo captions to see what students from around the region answered. Do you agree? Offer your replies in the comments below. Was theater important to you in school? Is it now? Why? Is it important for students to learn?

This school year is the eighth year for The Cappies program in the St. Louis area. Students from high school theater and journalism programs will review 29 high school theater productions during the 2011-12 school year. The theater season ends May 19 with a Tony Awards-style gala, in which students are awarded acting, music and technical awards.

Participating schools are: Bishop DuBourg, Clayton, Francis Howell, Francis Howell North, Holt, Maplewood Richmond Heights, Marquette, Mary Institute St. Louis Country Day School, McCluer, Nerinx Hall, Northwest, Notre Dame, Parkway Central, Pattonville and Rockwood Summit.

Dates and times for shows The Cappies will review (note all times are p.m.; show dates do not indicate the full run of the performances):

Date    Time    School    Show
Oct. 15    7:00    Pattonville    Arsenic and Old Lace
Oct. 22    7:30    Bishop DuBourg High School    The Haunting of Hill House
Oct. 28    7:00    Francis Howell North    Chateau La Roach
Nov. 4    7:00    Maplewood Richmond Heights    A Raisin in the Sun
Nov. 4    7:00    Rockwood Summit High School    12 Angry Jurors
Nov. 6    2:00    Clayton High School    Taming of the Shrew
Nov. 10    7:00    Northwest High School    Twelve Angry Jurors
Nov. 10    7:30    Parkway Central High School    Don't Drink The Water
Nov. 11    7:00    Francis Howell High School    Distracted
Nov. 11    7:30    Notre Dame High School    The Crucible
Nov. 18    7:00    Holt High School    FOOTLOOSE
Nov. 18    7:00    Marquette High School    GREASE
Nov. 19    7:30    Nerinx Hall High     PHANTOM OF THE OPERA
Nov. 26    8:00    Mary Institute St. Louis Country Day School    Picasso at Lapin Agile
Jan. 19    7:00    Clayton High School    Footloose
Feb. 10    7:00    Francis Howell High School    Return to the Forbidden Planet
Feb. 17    7:30    Nerinx Hall High    PRIDE and PREJUDICE
Feb. 18    7:00    Pattonville    The Music Man
March 2    7:00    Maplewood Richmond Heights    Steel Magnolias
March 3    7:00    McCluer High School    Dreamgirls
March 8    7:30    Parkway Central High School    The Diary of Anne Frank
March 9    7:00    Holt High School    You Can't Take It With You
March 9    7:00    Rockwood Summit High   How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
March 10    8:00    Mary Institute St. Louis Country Day School    The Drowsy Chaperone
March 30    7:30    Notre Dame High School    Thoroughly Modern Millie
April 14    7:00    McCluer High School    The Diviners
April 19    7:00    Francis Howell North    Death of a Salesman
April 20    7:30    Bishop DuBourg High School    Godspell
Jan 1      12:00    Northwest High School    TBA