Letter from Tam High Partners, Co-Program Directors of Conservatory Theatre Ensemble

The students and staff at Tam High Drama are happy to be a part of Marin Theatre Company’s new season. Collaboration across the grades is the everyday learning model at Tam Drama’s Conservatory Theatre Ensemble (CTE). Our Advanced Drama student directors guide younger actors as they devise original theatre pieces and build skills through the rehearsal process. We invite legendary local theatre professionals to teach workshops, further enhancing our students’ ability to write, direct, design, build, and create theatre. Our current Marin Theatre Company co-production adds another new dimension to our sequential training and production opportunities.

We are thrilled to extend these learning opportunities as our students travel off-site into professional collaborations and internships. Our four actors working with the Dunsinane ensemble have inspired future possibilities of cross-generational collaboration with MTC. We know our students have benefitted from the mentorship of these gifted and seasoned actors and production team. We hope, in turn, our students have also contributed their energy, enthusiasm, joy in hard work, and generosity to the Dunsinane process. They will return to our ensemble prepared to mentor, teach, and model what they learned.

Our parallel production at CTE of Macbeth, adapted by Gregory Maupin, offers a dynamic entry point to this play’s material. Directed by Ben Cleaveland, with choreography and dramaturgy by Julianna Rees, the production is fully student-designed and features our 9th to 12th grade actors. Our 70-minute Macbeth plays October 10th to 15th at 7pm, and is followed by a 70-minute Twelfth Night directed by CTE visiting artist Sarah McKereghan.

At Tam Drama, directing, acting, design, and playwriting are equal threads we weave together. All of the students in our non-audition program perform and produce work, leading to an engaged and passionate ensemble where students have a deep ownership of their learning. We are thrilled to see our younger artists continue this cycle as they work alongside MTC’s professionals in the realization of the extraordinary Dunsinane.

Ben Cleaveland and Julianna Rees Co-Program Directors, CTE

CTE’s 2022–2023 Play Season

All performances at 7pm with tickets at the door

Shakespeare’s Macbeth & Twelfth Night

directed by Ben Cleaveland and Sarah McKereghan October 10–15, 2022

Virginia Woolf’s Orlando

adapted by Sarah Ruhl, directed by Ashley Baker November 30–December 4, 2022

Winter One Act Festival 24 Student Directed Plays

January 11–13 & 18–20 & 25–27, 2023

Improv Show & World Premiere New Play

directed by Regina Saisi & Robert Ernst February 12–13/ 15–16, 2023

Original Commedia dell’arte

devised and directed by Peter Parish & Sarah McKereghan March 21–25, 2023

Straight Outta Padua: Liberating the Shrew

newly adapted from Shakespeare and directed by LeShawn Holcomb & Griot Theatre Co. April 26–30, 2023

Spring One Act Festival 24 Student Written & Directed Plays

May 12–13 & May 15–19 & May 22–23