GILROY
– Come June, middle schoolers will be rockin’ and boppin’ – on
stage, at least. Gilroy Unified School District’s program for
high-achieving students is helping fund a drama production for
students at each of the three middle schools.
GILROY – Come June, middle schoolers will be rockin’ and boppin’ – on stage, at least. Gilroy Unified School District’s program for high-achieving students is helping fund a drama production for students at each of the three middle schools.
More than 120 students auditioned for the 1950’s-themed “Rock Around the Block,” which will be directed by Pepe Espinoza, who heads the theater arts program at Rucker Elementary School and who began directing Rucker plays 10 years ago.
“They definitely are having a lot of fun so far, a lot of students haven’t been involved in a play before, so it’s new,” said Zoi Alvarez, the play’s assistant director.
The idea of a middle school drama production was generated by a group of parents looking to expand opportunities for students in the Gifted And Talented Education program (GATE). Saturday enrichment classes are also open to the students because GATE is not offered at the three middle schools. Parents began asking for a theater arts program like the one at Rucker – the only school with full-time GATE instruction – last year.
“There was just a really strong voice that a middle school play would be good, especially since the sixth grade is no longer in the elementary schools, so there’s no more theater arts for them, and it would really be enjoyed by the middle school students,” said Robyn Houts, a GUSD parent who participates in the middle school enrichment meetings.
Last fall, parents were told the nearly $20,000 price tag was too expensive for the GATE program to cover all the costs.
Now, GATE will pay $8,000 to the director and assistant director, “but then we’re on our own,” Alvarez said.
“I’m very happy that the district decided they could spend that money,” Houts said.
The students need about $7,000 more to cover production costs, including royalty fees, set building materials, paper to photocopy scripts and make-up and some costumes for students who can’t afford them. Parents are forming a fundraising committee to raise the rest of the money.
Some students have dropped out of the production because they weren’t able to make rehearsals, but the current cast of 87 sixth, seventh and eighth graders are currently rehearsing two or three days a week at Solorsano Middle School.
“They’re having fun and they’re enjoying it and the funnest part is producing it, so I think once they get on stage and get under the lights, they’ll really love it,” Alvarez said.
Given the state’s budget crisis and scant GATE funding in the district, the addition of theater arts for middle school students is not without its drawbacks.
“One of the things is, that there’s only going to be one play at Rucker this year so the middle school play is probably at the expense of a second play at Rucker,” Houts said.
