Fine Arts - Dramatic Arts

McAuley offers both a curricular and extracurricular theater program. The Theaterworks and Advanced Acting classes seek to expose students to the art and craft of theater production. Students attend eight performances a year and learn the basics of stagecraft, theater history, and performance in daily classes. The emphasis is on performance, and various classes have taken their show on the road to area nursing homes and elementary schools, delighting audiences of all ages with their many talents.

McAuley's Drama Club, the Limelighters, is well known across the state of Maine for their competitive one-act plays. Since 2001, they have won nearly every regional competition in their division and have qualified for the state championships. In 2005, they were the state runner-up for their production of Metamorphoses, and in 2007, they placed third with their 45-member cast and crew production of Heubner the Reluctant. The Limelighters repeated their trip to the regional one-act competition in 2009 and walked away with the runner-up trophy for Alice!  A Childish Story Take. In 2011, they captured the regional championship once again with their performance of The Syringa Tree.  

Each year, McAuley receives numerous All-Festival awards for acting and ensemble, but students have also been recognized for their innovative contributions to choreography, music, set, costume, sound, lighting, and hair/makeup design. The Limelighters perform twice annually with productions that showcase the many talents of McAuley actors, singers, dancers, and musicians.

The Limelighters believe that there is a place for everyone in theater, both onstage and behind the scenes, and students are welcomed and encouraged to find their special niche in McAuley drama.