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Fannin Middle School Theatre Arts

At Fannin Middle School, students who become involved in the Theatre Arts program will be introduced to a wide range of disciplines, including acting, technical theatre, production, directing, stage combat, and theatre history. Students will learn theatre in an immersive, hands-on environment. For students who wish to involve themselves in theatre in the future, the program teaches acting skills ranging from basic to advanced, as well as technical disciplines to make them well-rounded and successful in the future.

At Fannin, we strive to be the best middle school in Amarillo, and our Theatre Arts program expects no less.

Program Levels
Fannin’s Theatre Arts program exists in 3 tiers. First, is the 6 th Grade Theatre Arts program. Here, many students are given their first experience with theatre. Students learn to use their voices and bodies as tools for the stage. They are introduced to the production process and learn to work as an ensemble to create a performance from scratch. This level is designed to give students confidence in front of an audience and build self-esteem. Students will also learn to overcome their fears of being in front of people.

The second level is the 7 th /8 th Grade Theatre Arts program. This level scaffolds onto the 6 th Grade program, emphasizing and enhancing what was learned in the first program. This makes it ideal for 6 th graders who have had it, and for students who are still new to the process. On top of enhancing previous performance ideas, the students will learn more advanced and mature theatre disciplines, such as Stage Combat, Improvisation, Playwriting, Criticism, and full scale Production. This level continues to build onto the confidence and self-esteem of Fannin students.

The third and most advanced level is Theatre Production. Theatre Production is a class for students who wish to challenge themselves with advanced acting and technical techniques such as emotional recall, rapid memorization, and design/construction. Students will also work on Advanced Dramatic Criticism, critiquing local live performances. After working on technique, Production students are responsible for designing, building and performing a play twice a school year. These students will also present performances at local theatre festivals throughout the year, including the Randall One Act Play Festival and the Amarillo ISD Middle School Play Festival. In order to enter Theatre Production, students must have had a minimum 1 year of Theatre Arts training from any department, and must pass an entrance audition from the director.

Michael NewmanProgram Director: Michael Newman, michael.newman@amasid.org 
Michael Newman has been teaching at Fannin since 2012. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Theatre Performance from West Texas A&M University.  Mr. Newman has worked on and performed in live theatre across the Texas Panhandle for years. He is a regular at the Amarillo Little Theatre, having appeared in such shows as Peter Pan (Captain Hook), The Lieutenant of Inishmore (Paidric), The Pillowman (Katurian), and Avenue Q (Brian). He has also been a guest artist with Merely Players for their performances of Spamalot!(Lancelot), Noises Off (Gary), and Hamlet (Laertes). As a designer Mr. Newman has also worked as the Makeup designer for the ALT Academy’s production of Alice in Wonderland. He has also lent his talents as a Fight Choreographer to Merely Players (Hamlet), Amarillo Repertory Theatre (Romeo & Juliet, Macbeth), and the local high schools. He has also taught Dialects for the Sheryl Anderson Model & Talent Agency.  While Theatre is his passion, Mr. Newman also enjoys making art, playing video games, and rock climbing. He lives in Amarillo with his wife and 2 children.​