mark guerra – Reflections

By Mark Guerra
Lakehill Preparatory School, Theater and Film teacher

Lakehill’s annual Biology Trip to the Galveston area was on the brink of cancellation because of Tropical Storm Imelda. Jeremy Holman, who leads the charge on these trips, worked tirelessly to rearrange all of the travel plans just 24 hours before setting out.

Natural Bridge Caverns, just north of San Antonio, was the first stop. The group of nearly 50 teachers and students hiked 180 feet down into a crack in the Earth’s crust. We learned of the college students that discovered these underground caves in the 1960s, and we were able to see some of the stunning rock formations and bodies of water that have been preserved for all to experience. Breathtaking is an understatement.

The next day was an exploration of two San Antonio sites that were brimming with life. First was the San Antonio Aquarium. We were first given a tour of the facilities by two of the knowledgeable staff. The aquarium does not only house water animals, but land animals as well. After the tour, the students were able to explore the space and interact with the animals. Stingrays and tortoises were fed and petted; everyone got to touch a starfish; and colorful birds adorned the heads and shoulders of the students as fluffy, silky chickens ran amuck at our feet. A few students were able to enter the lemur cages and interact with them as the lemurs ate grapes.

After lunch, we headed over to the San Antonio Zoo. Students got a chance to see some great animals and exhibits. Some crowd favorites were feeding the giraffes and watching the hippos swim.

We spent the final day of the trip at Sea World. Mr. Holman turned into a young boy again, eyes wide with excitement about what the students were going to get to experience that day. We saw a hilarious sea lion show and a fascinating land animal show Pets Ahoy. Students roamed the park and enjoyed some of the rides and attractions. We reconvened to watch two whale shows, “One Ocean” featuring Orca whales and a separate, Beluga whale show. These massive beauties are a joy to watch as they glide through the water and perform acrobatics. Mr. Holman and some students sat in the Splash Zone. You could see the joy on his face as he stood there, soaking wet, with a grin from ear to ear.

As the Theater/Film teacher at Lakehill, going on the Biology trip was an excellent experience for me to get to know the students a bit better, but what I really learned on this trip is that we have a gem in Mr. Holman as our Biology teacher. His passion for the subject and for teaching meld him into an amazing instructor that I wish I would have had in my high school days. We are so lucky that our school allows us to take our students on excursions such as this one, and I truly believe that is a large part of what makes being a Lakehill Warrior so special.

Find out more at lakehillprep.org.

By Mark Guerra

Director, Drama Department

Lakehill Preparatory School

When audiences see a play, they are only seeing the tip of the iceberg, In addition to the actors learning their lines, there is much more that goes on below the surface, or, in this case, behind the scenes. The theater tech crew is the silent army that keeps the cast moving with military precision.

Onstage in the Charles Wyly Auditorium, audiences have been treated to some stunning performances this year. Performers fought a killer vegetable and traveled back to 18th century England, but the real magic is what happens before the run of the production starts, and behind the stage during the show.

Leading our fearless team of backstage techies is sophomore Kate Langley. In addition to managing the Girls Basketball team, playing Softball, and keeping up her GPA, Kate is our Lead Stage Manager in the Performing Arts division. Kate and her family dedicate their time and their hands to any needs that our production has from sets to costumes to props. Kate has interned at a local theater and gained a wealth of knowledge from the professional stage managers with whom she has worked during a production of Les Misérables School Edition. This has given her the advantage to know just what needs to be done to keep the flow of rehearsals and performances running smoothly. With Sense and Sensibility, Kate spent hours formulating an entrance and exit plan for all 22 characters and 45 scenes! Not an easy task, but one that truly made the production as successful as it was. In addition to her work this year, Kate also served as Stage Manager for last year’s productions of On Broadway: A Musical Revue, Radium Girls, and Who Is Theo?

Assisting Kate and me is the job of sophomore Sarah Bradley. Sarah plays on Lakehill’s Softball team, but she is dedicated to theater. Sarah performed in a production of Les Misérables School Edition that I directed last summer, but found that she was more interested in being behind the scenes. Sarah has proved her worth working on the fall musical, Little Shop of Horrors, including operating one of the puppets, and not only Assistant Stage Managed Sense and Sensibility, but handled two walk-on roles in the show as well. Sarah is serving as Assistant Stage Manager for my production of Back to the 80s: The Totally Awesome Musical at Theatre Three, where she is working under a professional stage manager. In addition to all of her stage work, Sarah has played a significant role in the re-organization of Lakehill’s costume, set, and props storage. Sarah is also Lead Assistant for Lakehill’s Lower School Drama Club.

This summer, Kate and Sarah will co-Stage Manage a children’s production of Disney’s Sleeping Beauty for the Musical Theatre Academy at Theatre Three.

For the past two years, Reid Chickering has served as my right-hand man (except for when he broke both of them) and Technical Assistant/Teacher’s Aide. Reid is a senior at Lakehill who participates in Football, Soccer, and Track, but has made time to serve as the Lighting Technician for our Upper School productions. Reid’s initiative and problem-solving skills have kept things running smoothly in the technical booth.

Although Blake Farokhnia has only served as Technical Assistant/Teacher’s Aide for the spring semester of his senior year, he proved himself to be a great assistant and addition to the Upper School Drama team. Blake has participated in Debate for four years, as well as Varsity Football, Student Ambassadors, Science Club, field events for Track and Field, and the Warrior Outreach Organization (WOO).

So next time you enjoy a performance, remember that there is just as dramatic a production going on behind the scenes.

For more information about Lakehill Preparatory School, visit lakehillprep.org.