New high school program “rises” from the Phoenix Theatre

by Jessica Burdge

This year the Department of Theatre is launching a new free event for high school students interested in theatre.

Called Phoenix Rising, the program offers an up-close and interactive look at our production of Dead Man’s Cell Phone. With backstage videos of the production process and interviews of students working behind the scenes, the event also gives high schoolers an opportunity to talk directly to UVic student designers, crew and cast members about the critically about the choices made on and backstage.

The event will take place over zoom on two Thursday evenings –  allowing participation from anywhere in the country – as well as offer an opportunity for the students to watch Dead Man’s Cell Phone via livestream.

On the first zoom night, students will meet and ask questions of director Fran Gebhard and other students involved in production and design of the show. This night will focus on all the ways students at the Phoenix come together to make a production happen.

The second zoom night will focus on the design elements of the production and will feature some of the actors speaking about how the design elements influenced their performance. The high school students will also be able to discuss their perspectives on the play.

The free Phoenix Rising events run Thursdays November 25 and December 2 at 6pm PST. Interested high school students should register online before November 22. 

The livestream of the play runs November 19, 20, 26 and 27 (Livestream tickets are only $15 and can be booked through the Phoenix Box Office.)

We hope that “Phoenix Rising” will give high school students from across the country an opportunity to expand their theatre experiences, make connections, and learn more about what a future in theatre could look like.