Students prop up 'Noises Off'

Did you know students build theater sets at USN?
By Jim Manning, Technical Theater Director, Arts Department Co-Chair

USN students stepped up in unprecedented ways for the High Schooll fall production of "Noises Off." High School Theater Director Lily Palmer had students eager to take on props (Henry Gatto '25, Holden Oliphant '23), costumes (Kari Belle King '24), assistant director and stage manager (MP King '22), and assistant stage manager (Daniel Stark '23). These students took on a lot of responsibilities that have been handled by adults in the past, and they rose to the challenge.  
 
Meanwhile, Technical Theater Director Jim Manning designed this show three times before, so he had his Technical Theater class design the set. This set was a doozy. It had eight doors, two stories, and the whole thing had to turn around backward. The class rose to the occasion and the build was aided by the Middle School Technical Theater classes.  
 
That was all well and good until Manning got COVID-19 and was quarantined at home for 10 days. Trying to give directions on how to build the set to substitute teachers became problematic. But several students in his HS Tech Theater class rose to the occasion. Seniors Lawson Berman '22 and Jonathan Nichols '22 not only led the HS class through the build but also came into school on their conference days to guide the MS classes through the build.  
 
Students took on many extra responsibilities, whether planned or unplanned. They proved their readiness time and again through their dependability, eagerness, and willingness to go the extra mile. "Noises Off" was a show within a show where everything is crashing down around the actors, but thanks to our USN students, that was not the case for this production.
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School News

List of 3 news stories.

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Athletics News

List of 3 news stories.

  • Mountain Bike Team Takes on “Electric" State Champs Trails, Dehner Snags Overall Podium Medal

    Steve Smail & MTB Team Coaches
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  • HS athletics recaps for September 11-17

    Tiger golfers have officially qualified for the region tournament, and our other teams are not far behind. Volleyball sits near the top of the district, finishing up regular season play next week with Senior Night. Girls soccer continues to hold first place in the district after another 9-0 win, and our cross country runners are chasing after some school records. To round it all out, our mountain bike team traveled to Oakfield to continue to improve on their times for the season. There’s plenty more where that came from- so be sure to come out to the River Campus, Sperling Gym, or out on the road to cheer on our Tigers before their seasons end.
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USN Mission: 
University School of Nashville models the best educational practices. In an environment that represents the cultural and ethnic composition of Metropolitan Nashville, USN fosters each student’s intellectual, artistic, and athletic potential, valuing and inspiring integrity, creative expression, a love of learning, and the pursuit of excellence.