The Comeback of the After-School Theatre Program

The after-school theater program hosted its interest meeting on Thursday, August 35th in the Black-Box Theater. Christine Maxted, the school’s theater teacher, talked about many topics including the fall play, the spring musical, Cappies, and more. Maxted started working at Gainesville during the 2021-2022 school year, after the original theater teacher resigned. Last year, she directed the spring musical, ‘The Pirates of Penzance,’ and is excited for this new school year.

“I am absolutely thrilled to see our students have fun this year,” Maxted said.

One of the many topics covered at the interest meeting was the fall play, ‘Puffs,’ a comedic spoof about Wayne Hopkins, a wizard who attends a magic school in England. Auditions will take place September 6th and 7th. The production will hit the stage this November. An audition workshop took place Tuesday, August 30th, which allowed students to meet one another and learn how to have a successful audition.

Another topic covered in the meeting was a December field trip to see a live production of ‘Into the Woods.’ Students will travel to Signature Theater in Arlington, VA to watch the show, grab a bite to eat, and have a great time with other students.

Maxted was visibly excited for her students as she talked about the upcoming field trip, and looks forward to taking them on the trip

“Incredible, welcoming, creative, and inspiring,” were all words that Maxted used to describe her students. She said that last year’s students were incredibly welcoming when she joined the school in the middle of the year.

Some of this year’s details are still to be decided, like what the spring musical will be, but Maxted was still enthusiastic in telling her students about how she’s looking forward to working with them this year.

Maxted is also looking forward to a new program that was introduced to GHS this year, called Cappies. Cappies is a high school journalism organization that travels to other high schools to watch plays, and review them. In addition to traveling to other schools, Cappies also hosts galas to present awards to those who wrote impressive reviews, and winners will have their reviews published in newspapers, including the Washington Post. Maxted has been a part of the Cappies for years, and is excited to have more students join the organization.

The meeting showed how close the students are to Maxted, and the friendly environment of the theater club. Everyone is excited for this year’s activities, and they can’t wait to see what the school year has in store.