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  • 1.  Honoring Seniors After Last Performance

    Posted 03-11-2020 10:20
    What do you do to honor your seniors after their last performance? I usually just have them step forward after bows for their own applause, but I want to know what others do so that maybe I can change it up.

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    Amy Williams
    District Librarian/Theater Teacher
    Thespian Troupe #8881
    Auburn High School
    Auburn, IL
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  • 2.  RE: Honoring Seniors After Last Performance

    Posted 03-12-2020 05:56
    On closing night of the last show of our season ... right after curtain call .... the junior members of the cast announce the seniors and say how many shows they have been in over the course of their time in the Troupe and what their future plans are and they all receive a coffee mug that has our troupe logo on it that is filled with a flower arrangement. It's quick but a special way to honor them. We hand out honor cords later for graduation because we don't want the entire audience to have to sit for too long.

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    Toni Thomas
    English Teacher, Theatre Director
    West Branch MI
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  • 3.  RE: Honoring Seniors After Last Performance

    Posted 03-13-2020 15:13

    Our department does a "Closing Night Showcase" which is a single night showcase of performances. We do an "Opening Night Showcase" at the beginning of the season and then we close the season with the Closing Night. Both are fundraisers for our parent booster group. At "Closing Night", we feature ALL interested seniors in a musical number they sing. They are situated in groups around our projection screen that plays a slide show of their four years. The senior number is a way for students who have participated at any point, in any capacity throughout their four years to be honored. We have a photographer/videographer we work with who compiles the slide show and it's a very meaningful time for all. Seeing their headshots/show pictures if they've been involved since 9th grade is so fun. This tradition began 8 years ago and we've refined the process over the years. Not sure if that's the kind of senior honor you're meaning but it's what we started as a way to include our pit members, crew as well as cast – any senior who identifies as being part of our department is welcome. We don't do anything special for seniors during individual productions as that would only include the seniors in that particular show. Hope this helps spark some ideas for you!

     

    Suzanne Maguire

    Glover M.S. CCLR

    Associate Director, Tiger Drama

    Assistant Coach, Speech & Debate

    509-354-5687

    Lewis & Clark High School

     






  • 4.  RE: Honoring Seniors After Last Performance

    Posted 03-12-2020 06:45
    Our bow order is cast first, starting from ensemble up to leads, then full cast bow. After that, our crew (which is often the size of our cast) comes in through our stage right exit door, stands in front of the stage, and does a group bow. Then full tribe bow. Then seniors bow together on the stage. Often people don't quite understand what the last bow is (if they don't know the kids), so someone (usually me) will yell "Yay seniors!" We do this nightly.

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    Jodi Disario
    Director of Drama
    Willow Glen High School
    San Jose, CA
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  • 5.  RE: Honoring Seniors After Last Performance

    Posted 03-12-2020 19:57
    We honor the seniors in 2 ways; at our Honors, Inductions and Awards night and at the final Evening of Theatre (which is a night of one acts not our main stage). The induction night is when seniors recieve their graduation honors (if earned) - and each senior had every honor named - and we fi ish the night by calling all our graduating seniors on stage to be recognized (regardless of earning honors). Our Evening of Theatre is the final performance of the school year. We have a senior video that includes pictures and videos of their entire 4 years in high school. Kids send in their personal pics and videos and it is edited together (usually by a junior) into a 5-6 minute film that is shown before the seniors perform their final performance (usually a song).

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    Shira Schwartz

    Chandler Unified School District
    Chandler AZ
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  • 6.  RE: Honoring Seniors After Last Performance

    Posted 03-13-2020 06:26

    We continue a tradition that was started long before I got there.  

    After the Sunday show we keep everyone on stage after the final bow.  We recognize each senior beginning with the newest member working our way to the longest active members.  We mention how long they have been involved in the organization, what their future plans are, and give them a flower and a photo book with photos from their time with us.  The drama parents booster club put together the photo books.  They also have index cards in the back of the book where members write personal notes to the seniors.  The books are a challenge for newer members or for tech students but the parents find pictures to make a nice keepsake.  



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    Chuck Yarmey
    Advisor/Technical Director
    Wyoming Area Drama Club
    Thespian Troupe 4795
    Exeter PA
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  • 7.  RE: Honoring Seniors After Last Performance

    Posted 03-13-2020 22:48
    We do the same thing BUT we have the junior say a few words and then give them this awesome candy bouqets. They LOVE IT! We use to give flowers but they said the candy bouqet is even more exciting hahha. 

    Hope that helps.

    Hope you're all safe!

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    Fredreka Irvine
    Teacher of Theater Arts
    Carlsbad CA
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  • 8.  RE: Honoring Seniors After Last Performance

    Posted 03-14-2020 12:08
    In the spring musical program, we have a picture of all seniors (cast, pit, and crew) and a separate picture of students who have been involved in 7 or 8 out of 8 shows (pit is 3 or 4 out of a total of 4). Graphics representing all 8 shows of their high school career create a border on this page. Most are also Thespians, so they receive their graduation cords and certificates at our senior award night.

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    Kim Nonnenmacher
    Teacher and Theater Director
    Concord Community Schools
    Elkhart IN
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  • 9.  RE: Honoring Seniors After Last Performance

    Posted 03-14-2020 14:56
    We honor our seniors at the final performance of the Spring musical by a Junior speaking about them and giving them a rose. Since this can take a while, we tell the audience right after bows that they are welcome to stay if they'd like but if they'd rather leave that the cast will exit the stage for 5 minutes and return for the rose ceremony. This is appreciated by many audience members.  
    We honor them again at the end of the year picnic.

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    Kelly King
    Essex Fells NJ
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  • 10.  RE: Honoring Seniors After Last Performance

    Posted 03-19-2020 07:22
    Good morning,

    Great ideas here. Since we do three main-stage musicals, we hold back for our spring musical. With the other two we have the senior actors and technical crew come forward for recognition and a bow. For the musical, we introduce them all as well and they get flowers and a little goodie bag. The seniors then recognize the production staff and volunteers.

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    Crit Fisher
    Lighting/Sound Designer
    New Albany High School
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