Performing Arts

Performing Arts education allows students to exercise their creativity, build on problem-solving abilities, and develop the confidence to communicate effectively in front of a crowd. Each student develops their physical, psychological, and cognitive capacities, always pulling both from their own experiences and motivations, and the context that surrounds each individual peace, connecting them to people, places, and circumstances beyond their own.
 
A Performing Arts curriculum that facilitates comprehensive, in-depth learning for its students is comprised of diverse and challenging educational experiences in theatre and related arts.  Additionally, the school offers students the opportunity to audition for the yearly school musical and be a part of the International Thespian Society, two extracurricular activities that further support the performing arts program.  At a secondary school level, the core classes that compose the performing arts track are:

List of 3 items.

  • Introduction to Theater and Performance

     
    This entry-level performing arts course allows students to explore their creative side through storytelling, improvisation, group exercises, writing challenges, acting, and more. The course will also require students to read and analyze texts while producing and performing group projects throughout the year. This course is designed for students with all types of creative backgrounds and experiences eager to further explore the performing arts.
  • Acting Workshop

     
    This intermediate performing arts course is designed for students with some previous acting or performance experience who want to continue developing their craft and building on their acting skill set while also expanding their general theater history knowledge through studying classic texts. The class will use some of the most important plays of the last century and beyond as the primary source material from which to create, analyze, and perform. Students will also get the opportunity to perform scenes and monologues from these important works while developing their interpretation of classic characters. More advanced students will also get the opportunity to direct their peers in scenes and monologues.
  • Honors Acting Workshop

     
    This highly individualized, advanced performing arts course is designed for students who have taken multiple acting courses in the past or have vast acting experience. The course will focus on preparing audition materials at a college level, including classical and contemporary monologues. Students will examine the various dimensions of characters through analysis, discussion, and classroom performances. An audition is required for students to determine the student’s readiness for the class level.

Audiovisual Arts

Courses in audiovisual arts, including production-focused classes, put students’ creativity front and center, as they learn how to tell stories through audio projects, original films, and short series. Students will learn about different techniques and strategies for producing, filming, and editing projects using modern, digital equipment and mediums, while exploring their unique storytelling perspectives. 

The audiovisual program is also supported by extracurricular activities such as Film Club and participation in the Ponte los Cortos Film Festival. At a secondary school level, the core classes that compose the audiovisual track are:

List of 3 items.

  • Intro to Film & TV Production 

     
    This course is designed for students interested in film and tv production and development and will focus on the creation of original content through creative activities. It combines theory and hands-on practice teaching students the fundamentals and technical skills required to complete an audiovisual project including screenwriting, script breakdown & workflow management, directing, cinematography, sound, and editing. The course will also require students to analyze films from each cinematic element perspective as they develop a critical filmmaker’s eye. The first semester will focus strictly on film while the second semester will focus on serial storytelling.
  • Production Lab

     
    This experimental course will function as a full production workshop. Students will focus on writing and producing several original works throughout the year by collaborating actively in the creative process as each student brings their particular set of skills to the table. It will be a completely hands-on production experience from day one, and students will be expected to be quick on their feet, strategically creative, excellent storytellers, and great team players. This course is for students who already have previous film experience and can hit the ground running.
  • Sound Production for Media

    Welcome to the exciting world of audio production and storytelling! In this introductory course, we'll dive into the fundamentals of audio theory and production techniques, exploring their application across a wide range of media formats, including podcasting, blogs, interviews, TV, film, and radio.
     
    Discover the immense power of sound as a vital storytelling device, learning how to leverage its potential to captivate audiences and create immersive experiences. You'll gain valuable insights into the art of storytelling through sound and how it enhances narratives across different media platforms.
     

Performing Arts Staff

List of 3 members.

  • Photo of Madeline Gomez Bianchi

    Madeline Gomez Bianchi 

    Saint John’s School
    Performing Arts Teacher
    Penn State University
    2016
  • Photo of Laura Molina

    Laura Molina 

    Secondary School Filmmaking and Theater Teacher
    Universidad del Sagrado Corazón - Master's Degree
    Universidad del Sagrado Corazón - Bachelor's Degree
    2022
  • Photo of Sixto Ortiz

    Sixto Ortiz 

    Saint John's School
    Radio and Media Production Manager | Sound Production for Media Teacher
    Universidad del Sagrado Corazón - Bachelor of Arts in Communication
    2021

Saint John’s School

Saint John’s School is a non-profit, college preparatory, nonsectarian, coeducational day school founded in 1915. The school, located in a residential area of Condado, in San Juan, Puerto Rico, has an enrollment of over 800 students from pre pre-kinder to grade twelve. Instruction is mostly in English with the exception of language courses.