About GMS Theatre Arts
GOLDA MEIR SCHOOL THEATRE ARTS
Golda Meir Theatre Arts is an educational theatre experience for all Golda Meir students 3rd-12th grade. 3rd-5th grade students participate in beginning drama where they learn the basics of the theatrical world. 6th-8th grade students have the option to take General Drama where they learn theatre concepts through participation and scene study. 9th-12th grade students are able to take a variety of classes including Play Production, Stagecraft, Intro to Theatre Arts, and Acting.
GETTING INVOLVED
Through our partnerships with local Milwaukee theatre companies, we teach the importance of life skills through stage skills. There are many different ways that students can get involved in our productions!
Performance: Students have the opportunity to audition for any of our mainstage productions throughout the year. Auditions are held during the first two weeks of the semester. Students in 6th-12th grade are invited to audition.
Stage Crew: Students who do not wish to participate in front of the curtain have the opportunity to participate behind the curtain. Students in stage crew create all of the props, set items, costumes, hair/makeup, and more. They are in charge of bringing the world of the play to life through technical skills and design. Please review our tech crew commitment sheet to learn more about how you can be involved! https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1jcZfKbvJRmVOJAoFTw7ZUqn58dMad86rA5Mu5T8OOfw/edit?usp=sharing
2025-2026 THEATRE CLASSES
Elementary Drama
Students in 3rd-5th grade take a general drama course that focuses on life skills through stage skills. In collaboration with teaching artists from First Stage, this course explores the basics of theatre arts through a variety of hands-on activities, games, and performances. Students will explore their creativity through storytelling, character development, and gaining confidence on stage. In addition, students will learn how to use their voice, body, and imagination to tell stories.
Middle School General Drama
6th-8th grade students learn basic acting skills, develop theatre terminology, receive an introduction to theatre history, explore the cultural and societal aspects of theatre, identify the different types of theater, and become familiar with basic stage areas. In addition, students will learn basic elements of a skit/scene and a play. Students will perform individually and in a group setting throughout the course. The course will also include a general overview of the people and jobs involved in theatre and what they do.
High School Theatre Classes
Students in grades 9-12 have the option to select from three courses. The course options are subject to change each year. The 2024-2025 school year options for high school theatre arts are as follows:
Introduction to Theatre
This course is a general overview of different eras and aspects of theatre, especially as an art form. The students will be introduced to the history of early theatre, the cultural and societal aspects of theatre, and the different types of theater. The course will also include a general overview of the people and jobs involved in theater and what they do. They include the director, the actor, the playwright, the various designers, and the critic.
Play Production
Students in this course will acquire experience in the various elements of play production other than acting. Knowledge of theatre crafts, including costuming, makeup, stagecraft, sound, lighting, direction, house management, and theatre vocabulary will be presented. Students will work in groups to produce a one-act play from a publisher or various plays they have written and will take turns being responsible for different jobs in each other's plays.
Acting
In this course, students will discover the art of acting. They will create character through elements such as movement, voice, makeup, and costume. Some of the other areas of the course include improvisation, performance anxiety, blocking, subtext, and character interaction.
MEET THE DIRECTOR
My name is Samantha Pinchard and I am the 5th-12th grade Theatre/Drama Teacher and Director.
I am currently in my 4th year of teaching public school, but have taught private voice lessons for the past 8 years. I student taught at Golda Meir in the spring of 2021 just as we were coming out of the COVID pandemic. I am thrilled to be back as the full time theatre teacher at Golda Middle School and direct the after school theatre productions.
I graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater in 2021 and received both a Bachelor of Music with an emphasis in Vocal Performance and a Bachelor of Science in Education in Theatre. I am certified to teach K-12 Theatre. As of this summer, I earned a Masters Degree in Music Theatre Vocal Pedagogy from Carthage College in Kenosha, WI.
Outside of classroom hours, I enjoy spending time with family and friends and as much as I love teaching students how to perform, I also do the same at various community theatres in the area. I spend my summers working across the street at First Stage Theatre Academy as a Voice & Speech Instructor. I have a passion for coffee, a good book, and everything musical theatre.