Behind the Curtain: Drama at Explorer West
Picture an 8th grader directing a play, while one classmate stage-manages it and another designs the set. At Explorer West, that’s the One-Act Play Festival.
Every student at Explorer West takes three years of drama, and our One-Act Play Festival serves as the program’s culminating experience. Throughout middle school, students develop their skills as actors, storytellers, designers, and collaborators. By 8th grade, they’re ready to take everything they’ve learned and put it into practice with much greater independence.
What makes the One-Act Play Festival truly special? The level of student ownership. Our 8th graders don’t simply act in a teacher-directed production. Rather, they take on the roles of directors, designers, stage managers, and actors, making creative decisions and working together to bring their plays to life.
Tara Kaine, Explorer West’s drama teacher, shares that over three years, “my role shifts from directing the production to supporting and mentoring students as they lead.” Offering guidance when needed, Tara gives students the space to make decisions, navigate challenges, and learn from their mistakes. This exciting shift from teacher-led to student-led theater is one of her favorite parts of the drama program.
“I did that. We did that. And I can do hard things”
At its heart, the goal of the One-Act Play Festival is for students to recognize just how capable they are.
At Explorer West, drama students gradually build the skills they need to take on bigger challenges. In 6th grade, they explore storytelling, performance, and creative risk-taking through children’s theater. In 7th grade, they tackle Shakespeare, building discipline, ensemble skills, and a deeper understanding of theater. By 8th grade, they’re ready to take ownership of the creative process.
The Play Festival is an opportunity to put all their skills into practice. Students make decisions, communicate ideas, listen to one another, solve problems, manage their time, and take responsibility for something bigger than themselves. Because theater is inherently collaborative, they learn that leadership doesn’t necessarily mean being in charge; it means contributing your strengths, making space for others, and helping a group accomplish something together.
Tara shares, “there’s something really powerful about the confidence that comes from creating something that is genuinely their own.” By the time students step onstage, they’ve done much more than memorize lines or rehearse scenes. They’ve made decisions, worked through disagreements, and taken creative risks.
The goal isn’t necessarily to create a perfect performance. It’s for students to leave the experience thinking, “I did that. We did that. And I can do hard things.” Our 8th graders carry that sense of confidence, ownership, and agency with them as they journey on to high school and beyond.
Everyone Plays a Role Where They Can Shine
In drama class, as in all classes at Explorer West, teachers cultivate an environment in which middle schoolers feel safe enough to take risks. Our students know mistakes are a part of learning, and they can count on their peers to support them and cheer them on.
One of Tara’s favorite success stories features a student who really struggled with confidence in drama class. They were a wonderful performer, but had a hard time trusting their own ideas and sharing them with others. Throughout 6th and 7th grade, there were many moments when this student seemed close to giving up.
With encouragement from their peers and Tara, and ongoing confidence-building work in drama class, they kept pushing through. Toward the end of 7th grade, this student surprised Tara by applying to be the stage manager for the class production of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night. And: “They were AMAZING! Truly one of the most responsible and capable stage managers I’ve ever had.” The student took initiative, coached and supported other students, and even came in during lunch to help. They didn’t just rise to the challenge; they exceeded every expectation Tara had.
The student who once struggled to trust their own ideas was now making decisions and leading peers with confidence. That growth extended beyond drama class, as this student also emerged as a leader in our school community.
In the Explorer West drama program, every student is given opportunities to find their voice, practice empathy, collaborate with people who think differently, and develop the confidence to contribute to a community.
