The Maryvale Performing Arts Department performs several theatrical productions, including two main-stage productions annually.  Dancing, singing, technical theatre skills and team work are incorporated in both of these shows.  Performances are chosen to highlight as many students as possible. The average cast and crew size is about 60-70 students.  Faculty, staff and parents assist with set production, costume and prop creation and publicity. Students take on many leadership roles in assisting with choreography, crew, publicity, student-directing, and set and prop production.

All principle roles are double casted. This allows more opportunity for actresses and insures that each major role is covered without asking a young actress to “understudy” a role. Double casting also allows actresses to learn from one another and develop their characters and roles as a team.  For productions calling for teen or adult male characters, we hold open auditions and invite young actors from local boys’  or co-ed schools.  Many times we include in our casts sons or brothers of alumnae or our own students.  

In addition to two annual main-stage productions, we also frequently offer smaller productions such as our murder-mystery dinner theatres, produced by the Drama Class.  Liturgical drama, shorter skits and scenes are occasionally produced for our school community.

Maryvale is very excited to begin preparation for a new performing arts wing of the Humanities Building. We hope to see our first production on the new stage in the spring of 2012. The facility will include a state-of-the art stage and theatre, marley flooring for the stage, dressing rooms, scene shop, a music room with equipment for choral and instrumental rehearsal, practice rooms, a piano lab incorporated into the multi-media lab, extensive storage and a balcony with a projection and technical booth. The facility has been designed to provide space for our growing performing arts department and to incorporate our extensive collection of music, instruments, theatrical equipment, properties and costumes.  It is indeed a very exciting time to be at Maryvale!