DEPARTMENT HEAD
Julia Ohm
We cater to each student individually. We work to develop relationships with them — to know who they are and what they need. Last year, we had a student who auditioned for the musical — and she was fabulous, but she was a little green. She ended up working on the tech crew for Little Shop of Horrors. She loved the intricacy of it. She helped with the scene changes and learned so much from it. The four plants were really the star of the show and the entire crew was remarkable in bringing all of them to life. Working backstage really heightened her curiosity, and she could watch all the performances, something that really helped her. When she auditioned for the next show, she was cast in an on-stage role. That kind of growth is possible because we try to engage and utilize each student and nurture their strengths. We understand this journey because our department is made up of performing arts professionals. Jerry Sabatini heads our Jazz Ensemble. Desh Hindle leads our music program. Eddie Buggie, our Director of Dance and also Cushing’s Director of Inclusion & Community Life, offers classes during the day and after school. Chelle Salvucci, a member of our Academic Support department, choreographs our musicals. We have more than 40 students taking music lessons with private instructors from Boston and the surrounding area. Because students are learning from professionals in our fields, we bring a really unique aspect to all the things that we do in the classroom and rehearsal. In addition, we take two performing arts trips, one to New York City each year, and every two years to London. Students who join us are heavy hitters in theatre at Cushing. These trips really spark curiosity and interest — as students get an insider’s look at the world of theatre. In teaching the performing arts, you’re inviting students to be vulnerable all the time. You’re asking them to utilize their life and experience, to tell their story, and you have to model that in some way. You have to show them that you, too, have been vulnerable and are with them on that journey. It’s really important to create a safe environment for growth and maturity. Helping students find out who they are, and then guiding them to have the confidence to share that with others and the characters they create — that’s the magic that we offer.
“Helping students find out who they are, and then guiding them to have the confidence to share that with others — that’s the
magic that we offer.”