Carlmont’s drama department has been on the upswing. With recent shows such as The Laramie Project and Annie Get Your Gun, there has been plenty to see and do. These productions are only supplemented by the many after school and at lunch drama clubs, one of which is Staged Reading Society, or SRS for short.
According to senior and club president Julio Medina, “SRS is a space where people can write things and share them with people and receive constructive feedback,” he said.
SRS was formed four years ago by two now-graduated students. The club used to meet after school, but due to scheduling conflicts, now meets Fridays at lunch.
At each meeting, five or six students perform a piece of literature that they wrote or found interesting, ranging from those written by professionals to those found on the Internet. Many times they are “poems or stories, kids books, song lyrics, or spoken word poetry,” said Medina.
Although some of the performed works are serious, the general vibe of the club remains lighthearted. Members joke with each other, yet provide their undivided attention when one of the members is speaking.
Usual meetings operate on a theme, with students told ahead of time to bring works with a specific tone or style. This past meeting on Feb. 20 focused on spoken word poetry, a type of poetry that is intended to be enacted on stage.
SRS members have shared their works outside club meetings, performing in front of other students in the studio theatre and in the library.
The club has seen Club seen growth since its creation. “We have twelve dedicated members and sixteen on good days,” said senior Zhenya Farrington. “The environment here is really positive.”
Students’ reasons for joining SRS are varied, though they all agree they love performing.
“My friend told me I should join SRS. I realized that it was really cool, so I stayed,” said sophomore Kendall Kaufmann.
“I joined SRS to improve my acting and speaking. Drama is 50 percent the body and 50 percent simply the voice,” said Farrington. “The voice itself is an art form.”
