Now Celebrating 50 Years of Magic!
Founded 1973
Viking Drama Club
Empowering young adolescents with theatre since 1973. Kick back and take a look at what young adolescents can do.
Our Philosophy
Respect
Young adolescents not children
Shared Responsibility
Young adolescents not children
Cooperation
The process is the product
Pride
High production values create pride, the show they see must reflect their work not yours
Life lesson not theatre lessons
Recognize the unique position of the school and the growth of students
Learn Our Story
When I finally left Viking in 2005, the Viking Drama Club was 32 years old. It seems like only yesterday…
What Our Alumni Say
"You can always tell who the drama kids are... the ones with paint splattered all over their jeans on Wednesdays." Mr. James Neal, my junior high drama teacher, always teased us as we complained about looking less than perfect; what a travesty for 12 year old girls. Wednesdays were "tech" days where after school show tunes would blare from the speakers as we hammered, nailed, and painted the set. Obviously, we all could bring a change of clothes so we could sport our latest pair of Z Cavariccis or tight-rolled Levis in the halls between classes. None of us ever did. Mr. Neal acknowledged us as "drama kids". I was a seventh grader and Mr. Neal knew who I was; he recognized my dedication, and praised me for it. I was cool.
Looking back, I laugh at myself. When was being a drama kid ever cool? Mr. Neal certainly thought so, and it was contagious. I spent every moment I could in that theatre or rather a simple stage connected to the multi-purpose room. My friends and I would hurriedly finish lunch to spend the rest of the hour with Mr. Neal and all his wisdom. Only a red curtain separated us from screaming seventh and eighth graders who preferred to spend the only free time in the day gossiping and throwing food. We would read plays, cut scenes, paint props; anything to dedicate ourselves. I wanted to feel the passion that my junior high drama teacher felt. With all his talent, I often wondered why he taught at the junior high level instead of professionally pursuing directing or scenic design. I finally asked him. He responded, "I didn't even know what drama was 'til college. A friend and I took a blow off class just to meet girls. After one day, I knew I had been robbed. I wish I had someone to teach me this stuff at your age"
And so Mr. Neal now only taught me the finer points of theatre arts, but he also taught me about dedication. I remember my eighth grade year during our production of The Wizard of Oz. We had a pretty dismal dress rehearsal. We opened in two days and our performance was lacking, actors were laughing backstage, and focus was at an all time low. Mr. Neal gathered us around the foot of the stage. "My daughter is being inducted into the National Honor Society tonight," his tired face mustered. "But I'm not there. I'm here. I made a promise to you at the very first rehearsal that I would be here. That I would be here everyday for the past month. You, as a cast, are not here. Take five minutes and remember the promise you made to me to be here and we'll run it from the top."
Tears welled up in my eyes. I had let him down. The cast spread out so we could all take our five minutes. I hid behind a colorful piece of munchkinland scenery, a piece I had painted myself. I struggled to remember all the time I had put into this production and couldn't help but cry over Mr. Neal missing time with his family. Then, I felt a hand on my shoulder. There were Mr. Neal's droopy eyes. "Oh, Katie. The ones with tears are never the ones that need a lecture." And then he hugged me. I wiped my face, fixed my stage makeup, and then brilliantly portrayed Auntie Em.
As I set goals for the type of teacher I want to become, I think back to Mr. Neal. I've patterned my dedication to theatre after his example. Always on time and always professional, I looked forward to each class and each rehearsal. My passion for the work always outweighed the passion of performance and I credit Mr. Neal for this. If I can become half the teacher and role model that he was for me, I will have achieved success.
Matt Kaufmann, '02
I was asked to share with everyone what Viking Drama means to me and how it has molded the person I am today. I thought...SIMPLE! I'll just go up there and kind of just wing it because Viking Drama means so much to me. But when I was contemplating what I would say, I realized that I could stammer on and on for a longer time than what we are allotted tonight. So I went to my computer and began typing and then saw that I had written a 10 page speech. I thought, well, American Idol is on Tuesday and Wednesday so everyone should have plenty of time to hear my speech, and then my mom told me that I would probably bore everyone to death.
So this is what I came up with and hopefully it doesn't take all night.
Viking Drama means much more to me than words can describe. Although it has been 4 years since I have been in a play here, it still feels like it is my home away from home. There is a certain aura that this stage projects. It gives us a sense of comfort, pride, family, community, and love. I have learned so many lessons from being involved in this theatre program, and all of them have shaped the person I am today. Viking Drama is the place which first gave me the chance to be me.
As a young adolescent, I was lost. I had no guidance and there was still a world out there which I felt completely secluded from. But Viking Drama opened the doors to opportunity for me and in a way, brought me under its wing. Like every student who has been involved in this program, I was given responsibilities which normal kids my age were never given. I was allowed to really learn what it meant to be self-sufficient and to take responsibility for my actions. Viking Drama taught me the meaning of sacrifice, commitment, leadership, honesty, empowerment, and selfless giving.
As I look into the eyes of all the current young adolescents in the crowd, I see the same spark I had in my eye, and still have to this day. Viking Drama becomes a part of us, like our shadow. We are here every day, either up in the booth, in the office, laying down in the costume room, or roughing our knees searching for lost drops under the stage. We are here in the mornings before school to organize events, to keep things running, and to put together odds and ends. We are here after school at rehearsals till 6:30, sometimes 7 working on songs and dances and acting and set building. And sometimes we are here on weekends putting up lights and inserting gels with Mr. Neal, eating our lunch and dinner out of the vending machines and the 5 year old scraps we find on the floor under his desk because to Mr. Neal it's not the 3 second rule, but rather the 5 minute rule.
I want all of you to look down at the pictures at your tables. It is your sons and daughters who created these sets, who organized these costumes, who put on the makeup, who set the lights, who put this whole production together. With a little guidance and motivation, your children created all of the magic that lies on the table and surrounds you right now. I think you can all agree with me when I say what they create on this stage is simply amazing.
But, in my opinion, the one aspect of this program which makes it stand out the most is how it projects the importance of bonds and relationships. Here on this stage, we don't treat each other as cast mates or as friends; we treat each other as family. My favorite part of rehearsal was always "family time", where we all sat in a circle on the stage and shared with each other a little piece of ourselves. In this circle we didn't just simply learn what everyone's favorite ice cream was or their most embarrassing moment, we learned about who they were.
We talked about our issues and problems. We talked about our triumphs and our failures. When you start a play, there is always an invisible wall in the middle of the stage. Sure you can try to work around the wall and sure you can still create a good play, but the real magic only happens when the wall is broken. This wall is with each other. You have to learn to be comfortable with your peers and to be able to tell anyone in the cast or crew your darkest secret, and not feel ashamed if they see you cry.
If the image is not clearly being painted in your minds, then I will give you an example. During my 7th grade musical, every person in the cast was required to wear a full body leotard which exposed every curve and crevice of their bodies. Now let's back up a second. Would you want to wear a bright orange full body leotard in front of all of your friends and colleagues? That's what I thought. But we had no choice, and the only way we could conquer this awkward obstacle was if we all became comfortable as an individual and as a whole. So for a whole week straight, I remember sitting in the circle in only our leotards and talking. Soon enough it didn't matter that we were wearing them, because we not only became trusting of each other, but of ourselves. I don't think I could have worn my leotard in front of any of my friends if it wasn't for my family in the play. This is what I mean when I talk about the families that we create, no matter what they were always there for you and at the end of the production, it was hard to let that go.
Viking drama brings people together that would normally never talk to each other, and these bonds stand the test of time. Some of my best friends 'til this day are who I experienced Viking drama with. I can turn to them with anything and vice versa. These are the people who have seen me at my worst moments, my best moments, and my more typical ones. We have all gone through the process as hard as it has been, and we have made it through together. If we never had Viking to create a bond between us, I don't know where I would have been today.
So before I start rambling on even more, I would just like to leave on one final note. Viking drama isn't just an organization or program or stage, it is a tradition. As I said before, it has been 4 years since I have been in a play here, but at the end of every show, I am brought back to the stage where I learned it all. After every show I can count on the song which I have sung numerous times that always begins with the words, "there´s no greater feeling in the world than what we're feeling right now," and its true. When I sing this song, I am brought back to the memories I shared with so many people on this stage and am reminded of how truly fortunate I am for have experienced this amazing program.
The alumni song brings everyone together be it my age, 5 years older than me, or even the freshmen which I have been so fortunate to work with. Every person who sings this song holds a special bond with each other, because no matter what, they have all gone through same struggles and hurdles and burdens and moments of glory. I believe that this is why this program stands the test of time, because of its tradition, and I truly believe that our community is blessed for it.
As for myself, I have been to Disney World and back countless times now. And I cannot tell you all the mishaps that have happened across the way: flat tires, broken bumpers, ending up in the Grand Canyon, and abduction from aliens which a few of us really try to forget and move on. But no matter where I go, Disney, College, Waukegan, I will always carry the words of one wise traveler with me: "Many Hands Make light Work" and I hope that this light continues to guide me through all my future endeavors and Viking's as well. Thank You
Melanie Bacaling, '05
No Greater Feeling Than Viking Drama
The theater program here is absolutely amazing, demonstrating a high level of professionalism for over 30 years. "Viking Drama".... Never were there two words that meant so much. If I was to tell you about all of my experiences, thoughts, and feelings about Viking Drama and how it affected me, we'd be here all night and I wouldn't be able to stop talking. So I will try to make this as short, sweet, and to the point as possible.
The truth is that the feeling and experience that someone gets from being involved with Viking Drama is beyond words. Our directors here have taught us more lessons than any other person could in a lifetime. From the importance of commitment and dedication to basic skills in the technical field such as the use of power tools. I mean, how many of you can really say that you know how to build a Broadway flat or a ramp coming off the stage? We take on these responsibilities that normally may not be entrusted to middle school students.
A few years ago I went to the International Thespian Festival in Lincoln, Nebraska and attended a workshop for publicizing and raising money for theatre programs. The man teaching this workshop was showing people how to create these special themed programs and one of the people in the workshop asked, "Should the parents or the students make the programs?" Immediately the man teaching the workshop responded, "Oh no! Never give the responsibility to the students! They could mess the whole thing up!" Take a look at the program in front of you and try to tell someone that this is "all messed up."
Many people won't give kids responsibilities because they're afraid of the students making mistakes. But are we not taught that it's ok to make mistakes and that some of the greatest lessons learned are from your mistakes? How does an adolescent learn if he/she isn't given the opportunity? This program was put together by a wonderful crew of middle school students. Everything that you see before you tonight and in all Viking Drama productions are completely student empowered. We are taught the importance of a good work ethic, taking with us the constant reminder of "take pride in your work" and the ever famous "many hands make light work."
These lessons I have taken with me and apply to everything I do. It has helped me become a good leader, teacher, and learner. The transition one goes through in this program is quite significant. Some of these students before you tonight may never end up in the theatrical field and some could end up being Broadway stars. Either way, Viking Drama will be with them for the rest of their lives.
It helps students cross the bridge of adolescence. It helps give a sense of responsibility, ensemble, and community. It gives a place to belong and take risks. To many it's a very dear second home and family.
Parents, I hope that you can be proud of your children and continue to support them in all they do. Their works have been many. Viking Drama is something special. Something that is very difficult to describe in words alone and hard to understand unless one has truly been through it and gone through the whole experience. Please continue to support it, and don't let it die out. Viking Drama has changed our lives so much and has touched our hearts. The memories here will last a lifetime and will be shared for years to come. I feel proud and thankful for having experienced theatre through Viking Drama.
Real quick, I ask that you take out your programs and turn to page 35. This song was written especially for the Viking Theatre Program by the lovely and talented Marilynn Walters who worked with Mr. Neal for many years doing the musical direction for the musicals. One day she was inspired by Viking's Theatre philosophy to write this song and it has been sung at the end of every single musical done in this program since 1991 and the words ring true each time it is sung.
I ask that sometime you just go over it and think about what it represents. I'm sure many of you are very familiar with it. Viking Drama has many traditions old and new, but I'd have to say that this is one of the most important. This song is one of the soul connections between all Viking Theatre students past and present. It also establishes a connection with the audience. I believe this is the best expression of how we feel at the end of a show and another way to help audiences understand and experience that theatre magic.
So please, take the time to help support Viking Drama and keep it going. There are some wonderful auction items along the side wall over there and also check out the Broadway Cares/Equity Fights Aids table in the lobby. Follow the acts of self-less giving that your children and students before them have brought to this program. May it still be striving for many years to come. Thank you.
Take the Full Tour!
Productions should be measured against the technical expertise of the staff, and the number of students available to help construct the desired product. See the amazing place that is the Viking Drama’s sets and tech! From our storage to our stage, lights, and sound rooms.