The 2020-21 school year changed the way Harker was able to put on performances. With no way to host a full audience, our performing arts department had to think outside the box in order to perform for the community.
The upper school’s production of “Les Misérables” took on a whole new character as a feature-length film. Students spent weeks recording their lines at home before those audio files were meticulously spliced and arranged into a beautiful execution of the story. Once the audio was completed, the cast and crew arrived to film in the theater with a range of three to four cameras rolling at all times. In the days before COVID-19, the theater seats would have been packed with parents and students alike, but instead they sat empty as the actors went through take after take. Hundreds of hours of footage were sent off to be compiled into a feature length film, blurring the lines between play and movie.
Our annual Dance Show was made possible only through weeks of Zoom practice as students successfully choreographed via video chat. Within 90-minute time slots, each group was able to pull off amazing routines having only practiced in person on the day of filming. The Senior Directed Showcase officially signaled a return to “normal” with a 25 percent capacity audience and livestream, giving our students a final opportunity to perform at Harker. In all, the community came together to laugh, cry and watch some truly impressive performances that otherwise might not have happened in such a tumultuous year.
Enjoy a look at some of the best performing arts photos from this past year.
