The Show Must Go On(line)

How HVAM is bringing live theater to its virtual classrooms

Acting and performing in school is a tradition as timeless as theater itself. With education evolving to embrace online communication and virtual classrooms, innovative opportunities reimagine how theater and the performing arts can flourish in fully virtual environments.

For High Point Virtual Academy (HVAM) middle schoolers, their theater director, Arianna Bernthal, transforms an online-only stage into a creative space. Bernthal is the visionary behind HVAM’s theater program, which just celebrated a major milestone with the debut of its first play, Virtually Ever After, in mid-December.

Bernthal realized virtual theatre was a possibility in 2020. Her college was preparing to stage Macbeth when the production pivoted to a virtual format. Bernthal was able to experience live theatre from the comfort of her living room and the rest, you can say, is history.

When Bernthal joined HVAM, she didn’t know if she would gather enough interest to run an extracurricular theater program. After putting the word out, she found she’d receive more than ever expected.

“It’s so incredible to see the excitement from our students,” said Bernthal. “Their enthusiasm and willingness to embrace a new format reminds me why theater is a powerful medium. It connects and inspires, no matter the stage.”

How does a virtual play actually work?

Just as dialogue bounces from character to character in a traditional play, a virtual performance switches focus between actors as lines are delivered and scenes progress. The screen view for the audience members tuning in alternates to feature each performer delivering their lines, each of whom are dressed and set with a backdrop to match the feel of an auditorium stage. For example, in a tongue-in-cheek take on Little Red Riding Hood, the girl communicates to the Wolf via Facetime, who appears on the screen in costume with a backdrop resembling Grandma’s house. Meanwhile, Little Red uses a forest backdrop—something the students create with the help of Bernthal and her costume and set designer, Mrs. Smith.

To prepare for the shows, students meet three times per week over Zoom for rehearsals to practice lines and learn more about theater. Even though the class is an extracurricular and takes place outside of school hours, Bernthal says the schedule has been workable for her kids.

“Sometimes all the kids come right at the beginning and stay the whole rehearsal, and sometimes they have some homework and then pop in when they’re required,” she said. “The students have been really great at keeping up their schedules and being responsible and making sure that they’re coming in when they’re supposed to.”

Bernthal seems to be passing on some of her love of theater to her kids, such as HVAM middle schooler Brenna M.

“I enjoy the idea of giving kids a chance to act, even when it’s over a computer,” she said. “It is about as close as you can get to a literal play.”

The virtual theater program isn’t just teaching students performance skills—it’s teaching kids how to be better collaborators and communicators. In the span of less than a year since the program was created, Bernthal, her staff, and the HVAM students have built a fun, positive environment to perform.

“It is truly one of the coolest experiences I have ever been in, being around this group of students who are so positive and so helpful to one another,” she said. “It’s really warmed my heart, and it’s been an amazing journey and process so far.”

While the curtain may have been drawn to a close for Virtually Ever After, it’s not the end of theatre performances at HVAM. The success of the show inspired the school’s high schoolers to produce a show of their own this spring.

For more information about High Point Virtual Academy, visit our HVAM.K12.com.

A self-proclaimed “theater kid” with a college degree in the field to match, Bernthal originally got her start directing productions while teaching at traditional in-person schools prior to joining HVAM.