The Drama Guild produces anually an average of 3-4 productions a year.
The following are a few of the staples in the Drama Guild's yearly season.
FALL
Shakespeare & Company Residency Program: The Shakespeare & Company Residency Program brings a director from Shake&Co in Lenox, MA to NAHS to direct a 90 minute Shakespeare play with student actors and technicians. Students perform 3-4 productions on the high school stage, and then take their play to the Fall Festival of Shakespeare in Lenox. Fall Festival is a culmination of the process of many schools in the MA/NY region, and students spend the weekend in Lenox watching other Festival participants plays and sharing their own.
The program gives students a new a wonderful appreciation for the works of Shakespeare, and has been a tradition at NAHS for the last 14 years.
Recent Shakespeare productions NAHS include: Macbeth ('06-'07), Henry V ('05-'06), A Midsummer Night's Dream ('04-'05), The Tempest ('03-'04), A Winter's Tale ('02-'03).
SPRING
Musical: The Drama Guild's musical production has been a long standing and exciting tradition. The musical always involves a large range of participants including those interested in set construction, technical crew, and even participating in the pit orchestra. The musical is a popular opportunity and draws many talented actors and musicians to the NAHS stage.
In 2005 the Drama Guild welcomed English teacher Melissa Downey to direct the musical production. She has brought many new innovations to the this production including a union with Mr. Motherway's Integrated Tech and Woodshop classes. These classes help expand their knowledge of carpentry and construction while working on the sets for the musicals. This year, 2007, Miss Downey helped welcome many talented dancers to the Drama Guild with her production of Footloose.
Recent musical productions include: Footloose ('06-'07), Little Shop of Horrors ('05-'06), Cinderella ('04-'05), Jekyll and Hyde ('02-'03)
WINTER
One Act Festival: Student directors are an important part of the yearly drama guild calendar. For many years, the tradition stood that two seniors each year would direct and produce a one act play of their choosing. The production was entirely student run, from the actors, directors, constumers to the technicians. Over the recent years the tradition has changed slightly. In 2006, two juniors directed a four act play (The Crucible), and it was also a success. Inspired by the change of the mold, in 2007 the Drama Guild introduced a One Act Festival, consisting of two nights of three short one acts directed by three different pairs of seniors. The first annual One Act festival was a huge success, very highly attended, and gave more seniors an opportunity to take the directors chair.
Recent student directed plays include: The Breakfast Club, The Insanity of Mary Girard, Bridge (original play by Megan Walker and Cherise Grifoni)- ('06-'07), The Crucible ('05-'06), Sackreligigious (original play by Sam Zelitch) - ('04-'05), Bang Bang Your Dead ('03-'04)