Drama Program | WHS Dramatic Arts

Why WHS Drama?

Woodside High School's distinctive Dramatic Arts Program provides students with a robust course offering, as well as the opportunity to try out for several open audition productions throughout the year. Whether you are a well-versed thespian or brand new to the arts, Woodside’s Dramatic Arts Program has something for you!

Our Program

Drama Classes I, II, III, IV, V

Classes are designed to offer students the basic elements of theater and advances their talents and skills to be able to create their own production.

Students in the Drama III/IV will also get experience with putting on a production from start to finish as part of their final.

Stage Productions

Fall Play: performance takes place over one weekend in November.

Spring Musical: performances span two weekends in March

Drama III/IV Production: as part of their final, students in the advanced classes are tasked with putting on a full production from beginning to end.

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Technical Theater Club

Prefer to be "behind the scenes"? Come be a part of an amazing team! Tech Club meets Fridays at lunch in the Theater Scene Shop. As a member of the Tech Club, you'll get to work on our upcoming productions from set design to sound engineering.

Email msouther@seq.org to join!

Parent Community and Support

Through the WHS Drama Boosters, parents and our community are invited to support our programs. There are multiple opportunities for participation with production support, promotion , fundraising and concessions, etc. Click HERE to attend the Booster's monthly meeting.

Previous Scholarship Winners

The Drama Boosters Scholarship is a long standing merit based award for our students. More recently, WHS Drama Boosters launched the George Ward Scholarship named in honor our retired educator with 31-years as a Drama and Senior English IV teacher at Woodside High School. Mr. Ward has been an actor/director since he was 17. He became a member of the Actors' Equity Association in 1995 and has performed with Theatre Works, American Conservatory Theatre, San Jose American Music Theatre, and Broadway By the Bay. He also taught at Colorado College in Colorado Springs. Many of his former students have gone onto careers in theatre, film, television, writing, and theatre education.

2023

George Ward Scholarship

Isabella "Izzy" Wynne

Drama Booster Scholarship

Annalise Bowman
Annabelle Hopkins
Amanda Marcos
Alejandra "Ale" Pelkowski
Isabella "Izzy" Wynne

2022

George Ward Scholarship

Brynn Ayoob
Alex Young

Drama Booster Scholarship

Brynn Ayoob
Sebastian Najbjerg
Amelie DeLeon
Alex Young
Evie Sataro

2021

George Ward Scholarship

Mason Hughes

Drama Booster Scholarship

Mason Hughes
Kelli O'Neill
Marcus Sujansky
Dominic Borg

2020

George Ward Scholarship

Hazel Griffin

Drama Booster Scholarship

Hazel Griffin
Rachelle Taveau
Ben Sacco
Lourdes Arteaga
Vianne Nickel

2019

Drama Booster Scholarship

Philip Moissis
Samantha Borthwick
Kiki Koeppen
Dani Whiting

2018

Drama Booster Scholarship

Derek Smith
Sophia Ashworth
Christian Canellos
Mollie Kraus
Mason Moss
Cella Hussussian

2017

Drama Booster Scholarship

Devin Hicks
Natalie Finander
Chase Hovden
Sarah Rodriguez-Soto

2016

Drama Booster Scholarship

Leo Franco-Munoz
Mariah Tzoumbas
Jessica Patton
Langley Topper
Lauren Ringman
Abigail Vixie

2015

Drama Booster Scholarship

Rachel Bontempi
Rachael Gregoire
Mary Robles
Athena Saxon
Phaedra Saxon
Spencer Riewerts

2014

Drama Booster Scholarship

Isabelle Robles
Emily Dunlap
Harrison Patino
Megan Healy

2013

Drama Booster Scholarship

Emma Adams
Kyra Bowser
Alexandra Balbiera

Our Alumni

We are so proud of all of our WHS Dramatic Arts Program students. These are some notable graduates that have continued to pursue a career in the dramatic arts. Check out what some of our alumi have been up to since they graduated from Woodside High School.

Sam Borthwick Class of 2019

What are you doing now?
- I’m in my senior year in college and putting on the show “Crooked Star” that was written by my boyfriend.
I’m the choreographer and producer!

What is your favorite production that you have done and why?
- My favorite show was WHS's production of Mamma Mia [I played Sophie] with its amazing songs and the ability to act off the songs adding your own spark!

What made you pursue theater?
- Initially I was just not good at sports. But then I fell in love with storytelling and now have been doing it forever! I like how theater is not competitive and that you are working together as a group.

What are the people holding auditions looking for?
- They want you to be unapologetically you, don’t try to be something you are not.

What is your advice for our WHS rising stars?
- Be yourself and be willing to work on yourself. You need to want the school that you are applying for and show that in the process!

LeeAnn Patrick Class of 2011

LeeAnn Patrick graduated from Woodside High School in 2011. She went on to attend UCLA, where she eventually figured out that she wanted to write movies and TV for a living. While she is still working toward that dream, she has been working in Post Production at Marvel Studios for the past five years - first as an Editorial Production Assistant on Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame, then as the Post Production Coordinator on WandaVision and She-Hulk: Attorney At Law.

What are you doing now?
- I am an aspiring screenwriter, and for my day job I work in Post Production at Marvel Studios.

What is your favorite production that you have done and why?
- In high school, I had a lot of fun with my Junior musical, Curtains! I got to dramatically die on stage, which was extremely fun.

What made you pursue theater?
- I've always loved storytelling and team sports, so theater, film, and television are prime examples of the intersection of those two things.

What classes did you take in college that prepared you for your current job?
- I did not go to film school or anything, in fact, I didn't realize I wanted to pursue screenwriting until my Junior year of college. My English classes served me well, specifically a Lord of the Rings course I took where I met my writing partner. Overall though, at least from what I've encountered in the film and television industry, your coursework and the school you attend are not as important as following your passion and putting in the work. In college, look through the course list and take classes that excite you, things that are interesting, even if they have nothing to do with your major. I don't often use the things I learned in my astrophysics class, for example, but it was extremely fun stuff to learn about.

What is your advice for our WHS rising stars?
- Stay excited! Especially if you are aiming to get into a creative field in your future, it will likely be a long slog. "Overnight success" is rare, and often preceded by years of hard work. If you can keep your excitement and your passion for the craft and keep learning and doing the hard work, then you'll make it!