Performing Arts Program

The Performing Arts Department is dedicated to providing all students the opportunity to experience, explore and learn through formal and informal instruction in theater, dance, and music - both vocal and instrumental.

Theater

While at Kents Hill students can take classes in acting, playwriting, theater history, stagecraft, drama as literature and production. In addition, the theater program stages two shows each trimester. This includes the opportunity for student-directed and produced shows. Performances vary in style, length and genre, ranging from monologues to one-acts, to full-length Broadway shows.

A special tradition, The Young People's Holiday Show is performed for local elementary schools during the third week in December and includes a performance by the Kents Hill Singers. Other traditions include a musical in the spring and a theater exchange with Kents Hill's sister school, Kent College Pembury, located just south of London, England.

Recent shows include:  Picasso at the Lapin Agile, How to Succeed in Business without Even Trying, Guys and Dolls, Waiting for Godot, Into the Woods, The Breakfast Club, Joseph & The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Little Shop of Horrors, Lucky Stiff, Mullen's Alley, Actor's Nightmare, and Pippin. 

Vocal Music

The Kents Hill Singers continue a century-old tradition of choral music at Kents Hill. The class meets outside the academic schedule in order to enable any interested student to participate. The Kents Hill Singers is a year-long program; students may participate on an extra-curricular basis or for academic credit. The Singers perform at numerous school occasions over the course of the year, including Family Weekend, Awards Assembly, and the annual Vespers service in December. Singers of all levels are encouraged to join.

Students may also audition for the District III Honors Chorus and the Maine All-State Chorus; Kents Hill usually sends one or more students to these festivals each year.

Instrumental Music
Kents Hill supports five different bands. The Kents Hill Jazz Ensemble is the largest of the four bands, supporting up to 25 members, and plays a range of music from traditional jazz and swing to rock, blues, reggae, funk, and ballads. Each song is arranged by the instructor and tailored to the ensemble. All instruments are welcome and improvisation is highly encouraged. Rock Band focuses on classic and modern rock performances and is broken up into two sections. The Heavy Rock Band plays more metal and hard rock pieces and the Light Rock Band focuses on classic rock and alternative rock pieces. Acoustic Band is a performance group which works exclusively with acoustic instruments. The group is supported by a spring elective class which encourages students to broaden their acoustic experience beyond guitars to playing mandolins, banjos and other more traditional string instruments. Fusion Band is Kents Hill’s advanced level performance group. Fusion focuses on creating original compositions and practicing improvisational skills.

The Music Program also offers several trimester electives in the study of music and music production:
Studio Recording
Fundamental Music Theory
Advanced Music Theory
Acoustic Band