Author: Ivy Miller

By Nancy Dahal ‘28

Each year, the Wyoming Seminary Drama Department produces three different theatrical shows. This year started with a boom as the autumn musical combined music, dance, and acting into a fantastic, all-around act! The end of the year holds the spring play which captivates audiences with its intense acting and riveting characters. Between these two spectacles is where the Winter Workshops lie. The Winter Workshops contained two slates this year which were hosted in BPAC from Wednesday February 11 to Sunday February 15.

The Winter Workshops consist of comedic scenes ranging typically from ten to fifteen minutes with a small cast of actors each. Unlike the musical and the play which both require around five days per week, the workshops operate with only one hour per scene a week. Due to the lighter time commitment, they attract many students who did not have previous interest, experience, or time to be involved in Sem Drama. In the words of Doron Glynn ‘26, “I got involved in acting at SEM through the winter workshops in my freshman year. I’ve been doing it ever since and it’s allowed me to make some of my closest friends. You can participate in some hilarious scenes and show your talent without the intense time commitment of the musical.” 

This low time commitment allows a greater range of people to join in on the experience. The workshops welcome varying experience levels as well ranging from aspiring professionals to hobbyists to people who just wanted to try new things and put themselves out there. These students also tend to vary a lot in age and origin with students of all years and from all places collaborating. The tighter knit fashion of the scenes and rehearsals continues this trend as the students involved in scenes together can form long lasting friendships. 

The Winter Workshops act as a casual way for students to express their passions towards theatre. Kurt Soreth ‘26 described it well by saying, “Winter Workshop for the past four years has always been a huge learning experience for me whether I am playing a DMV worker or even Satan. I love acting and the art of performance, and I knew it was going to be another great show!”

With all the joy and laughter that they brought to campus, the Winter Workshops were an astounding success this year. The Sem Community thanks all the students involved in the incredible production both on and backstage. As well, many incredible faculty members made the Workshops possible like directors Mr. Sherry and Mrs. Sherry and Mr. Bussie, the hands behind the operation. Hopefully, the Sem Drama Department will continue to be able to bring such incredible productions to the spotlight for many years to come!

By Nancy Dahal ‘28

Wyoming Seminary’s Music Department certainly made their mark this past holiday season, spreading cheer with each of their annual holiday performances. December’s chapel combined beautiful music with heartfelt proclamations of faith and provided students with a magical experience prior to their departure for Winter Break. 

Principal cellist Hannah Salesky ‘26 “thought that the concert went really well, and had so much fun playing!.” Salesky noted The Toy Symphony as a personal highlight of the program, but also “loved the combined choral and orchestra pieces and the way that the sound filled up the entire auditorium.” Under Mrs. Vaida’s instruction, the group worked for months before. Their hard work paid off – from fun melodies such as the “Libertango” by Astor Piazzolla to contrastingly slow and smooth sounds such as the “Adagietto from Symphony No. 5” by Gustav Mahler, the compositions were executed with grace and ease. Violinist Zuzana Havlickova ‘26 “really love[d] the way that the music in the concert brought different people together.” 

Along with the string ensemble, the chorale contributed to the fantastic spectacle. Notably, the Madrigals select ensemble touched audience members’ hearts with “The Snow” by Edward Elgar and the Chorale brought fun holiday cheer with Andy Beck’s arrangement of “Sleigh Ride” with its own horse soloists. Chloe Caputo ‘26 also performed an incredible solo as a part of “The Bleak Midwinter,” arranged by Mark Hayes, prior to the full choir/orchestra’s performance of “Silent Night” that closed the concert. Thanks to the hard work of Dr. Hall, Mrs. Hall, and Ms. Tsukasa as well as all the students and faculty involved, the Chorale continues to bring festivities to our campus. 

These two different ensembles fused their talents to present a showcase that truly wowed the community. The variety of pieces performed ranged heavily in manner with somber declarations to triumphant celebrations all packed into an explosive demonstration of technique and passion. Students and faculty involved sang their hearts out for the holiday season, a testament to the countless hours spent perfecting sequences on their individual instruments.