2.28.2022

Join Us for the Winter Band Concert! #207Now #band #musiced @mainewestband @mwactivities


Tomorrow, Tuesday, March 1st at 7:00 p.m. in the Maine West Auditorium is the Winter Band Concert featuring the musicians in Concert & Symphonic Band, Percussion Techniques and Wind Ensemble. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m. and admission is free.

For family and friends unable to make the live performance, a live stream of the concert can be found at Maine West's WMTH YouTube Channel HERE

2.27.2022

Maine West's Production of BEAUTY AND THE BEAST Was Magical! #207Now #beautyandthebeast #highschoolmusical @mainewestdrama @mainewestchoir @mainewestband @mworchestras @mainewesttechcrew

Bravissimo to the cast, crew, pit orchestra and the directors for four awe-inspiring performances of Beauty and the Beast to near capacity crowds!

Check out a folder full of pictures from the show HERE

Director: Mr. David Harmon
Pit Orchestra Director: Mr. Bernie Gerstmayr
Vocal Director: Mr. Jim Schiffer
Choreographer: Ms. Isabel Ramirez
Technical Director: Mr. Peter McManus
Costume Director: Ms. Kate Murphy
Producer: Ms. Daniella Valdez

CAST

Student Director/Producer: Aiden Williamson
Belle: Ali Krieger
Beast: Deroy Chitan
Gaston: Daniel Solomon
Lefou: Alex Kazimierski
Maurice: Andrew Stutheit
Cogsworth: Raphael Ranola
Lumiere: Joseph Thalackan
Babette: Jessica Mueller
Mrs. Potts: Gabriela Febus
Chip: Kris Modi
Madame de la Grande Bouche: Sofia Fonseca
Monsieur D'Arque: Alex Dusold O'Connor
Silly Girls: Amelia Foy, Cali Santos, Emma Ohlson
Gaston's Cronies: Ethan Mattson, Mark Cangelosi, Dulf Genis
Teen: Aubrey Brown, Hannah Kallio
Narrator / Hat Seller: Ethan Mattson
Young Man: Carter Roper
Old Beggar Woman: Dalilah Carrillo
Lady with Cane: Madison Blancas
Baker: Leo Leal
Bookseller: Alexis Ortiz
Aristocratic Lady: Anna Tooley
Aristocratic Lady's Daughter: Jamie Daube
Fish Seller: Leena Lugo
Egg Seller: Olivia Chitan
Candle Seller: Linzey Lucas
Lady with Baby: Lilly Orrico
Milkmaid: Naomi Abraham
Shepherd: Orion Hernandez
The Finest Dinnerware Collection Ever Assembled: Naomi Abraham, Jamie Daube, Dynna Escobar, Karolina Glowa, Lana Gerstmayr, Orion Hernandez, Leo Leal, Linzey Lucas, Leena Lugo, Ethan Mattson, Sage Miller, Emma Ohlson, Ariel Ortiz, Carter Roper, Eleanor Zagroba, Sara Zogman, Aiden Williamson
Dinner Servants: Madison Blancas, Aubrey Brown, Mark Cangelosi, Dalilah Carrillo, Amelia Foy, Dulf Genis, Hannah Kallio, Jaiden Maisonet, Anna Tooley
Wolves: Aubrey Brown, Jamie Daube, Hannah Kallio, Sage Miller

PIT ORCHESTRA

Woodwinds
Flute 1: Aurelia Lawson
Flute 2: Zoya Khan & Frederick Reed
Flute 3: Sabrina Bukvarevic
Clarinet: Caitlyn Claussen, Aleksandra Majewski, & Morgan Ramirez
Bass Clarinet: Elena Bu & Zonna Todorovska
Bassoon: Soran Rubio
Baritone Saxophone: George Panagiotidis

Brass
Horn: Maeve O'Hara & Addie Webb
Trumpet 1: Davis Parks & Nathan Sommerfeldt
Trumpet 2: Hector Servin
Trombone: Will Beckman

Strings
Violin 1: Georgie Charamboulous & Aaron Grata
Violin 2: Juliana Doan & Angelo Eldridge
Cello: Gus Freitag, Joaquin Garibay & Christian Soto
Bass: Ksenia Peric

Rhythm Section
Lead Piano: Mr. Bradley Whaley
Keyboard: Addison Stutheit
Percussion: Liv Chitan, Vivian Perez-Leyva & Joey Scott

STUDENT PRODUCTION PERSONNEL

CREW
Stage Manager: Selma Sprig Velic
Floor Managers: Lex Halliotis & Zensanna Yost
Prop Manager: Shyanne Duran
Sound Board: Mia Cardosa & Jose Rios
Light Board: Maddie Chiakas & Sam Juice Zamarippa
Costume: Jamie Daube, Hannah Kallio, Fatima Pourkhaland & Eva Williams
Master Painter: Madelyn Chiakas, Addy Derusha & Hannah Kallio
Master Carpenter: Jose Reios & Lex Halliotis
Floor Crew: Cory Cordier, Addy Derusha, Shyanne Duran, Ellie Garrett, Savannah Krzywda, Elah Psyhogios, Kiara Ramirez, Gabe Yungaicela

BUILDING CREW
Roma Baltero, Madison Blancas, Ava Breen, Mia Cardoso, Ash Carmichael, Maddie Chiakas, Nathaly Cisneros, Eire Conway, Trinity Cooper Tamaki, Cory Cordier, Mia Del Valle, Addy Derusha, Shyanne Duran, Gemima Eyeson, Livi Friedlieb, Mei Fertig, Arlett Garcia, Kayla Garcia, Lilly Garrett, Ellie Garrett, Lex Halliotis, Hannah Kallio, Weronika Kmiec, Michael Kogo, Savannah Krzywda, Leo Leal, Emily Librado, Daniel Meckes, Shylina Mendez, Adil Mithani, Kris Modi, Jessica Mueller, Cesar Olmos, Lilly Orrico, Ari Ortiz, Wendy Perez, Nick Peszek, Ben Pluta, Elah Psyhogios, Klara Ramirez, Rafael Ranola, Jose Rios, Eric Rivera, Bethany Ruvalcaba Luna, Isabelle Servin, Andrew Stutheit, Selma Velic Sprig, Ava Williams, Aiden Williamson, Zensanna Yost, Gabriel Yungaicela, Samantha Zamarippa

ENGINEERING & DESIGN CAPSTONE CLASS
Oluwatamilore Adesayo, William Bitcon, Francisco Castellano, Ryan Hanson, Mathew Hauptman, King Lacsi, Evan Markham, Kevin Victor Marron, Max Nunez, Jacob Powers, Shreyas Reddy, Justin Thomas, Alexander Trejo, Alex Valdez, Flavio Valdiva, Alexander Vankov, Christopher Kyle Yu

TECHNICAL THEATER CLASS
Cesar Abad, Olivia Chabo, Maddie Chiakas, K.C. Conrad, Devyn Doti, Saraih Espino, Manuel Felix De Le Cruz, Jodi Ferron, Manuel Gomez, Katie Huk, Sarah Joldes, Hannah Kallio, Weronika Kmiec, Leo Leal, Chris Martinez, Daniel Meckes, Oluwatimilhehin Oyende, Jacob Powers, Nate Schmidt, Selma Velic, Felix Weinand, Sam Zamarripa, Eva Zarate

Thanks to Ms. Orr and the WMTH student crew for filming the production!

A production this big cannot happen without a massive team of volunteers to help! A TREMENDOUS THANKS to the Maine West Fine Arts Boosters and all of the volunteers who pitched in to make this show happen!




2.24.2022

Opening Night of BEAUTY AND THE BEAST An Overwhelming Success! #207Now #highschoolmusical #beautyandthebeast @mainewestdrama

Tonight was the opening night of Maine West's production of Beauty and the Beast, and the show was just incredible! Congratulations to the cast, crew, pit orchestra and all of the directors and staff who worked on the show.  Your tremendous dedication and hard work made you shine on stage tonight!

There are three more opportunities to catch this show! Bring your friends and family!

SKIP THE LINE, and order tickets in advance online HERE

If you are unfamiliar with Maine West, a map of where to park can be found HERE

REMAINING SHOW DATES & TIMES:

Friday, February 25th at 7:00 p.m.

Saturday, February 26th at 7:00 p.m.

Sunday, February 27th at 2:00 p.m.

On Sunday, February 27th at 12:30 p.m. in the Maine West Commons, the Maine West Fine Arts Boosters are sponsoring "Storytime with Belle," a special event for young children in the community. 

For just $5 per person, you'll get:

  • To meet & take photos with select cast
  • "Belle" will read the story of a prince in disguise!
  • Beauty and the Beast themed crafts
  • Children will receive a light up Rose!
  • Plus...Avoid the line! VIP ticket booth to purchase tickets to the 2 p.m. show
  • Special entrance to choose your seats for the performance

Don't miss out on this incredible opportunity!

All proceeds go toward the Maine West High School Fine Arts Department & Students!

Pictures from tonight's performance can be found HERE.

A special thank you to the Maine West Fine Arts Boosters and all parent volunteers for your help making this show happen! We couldn't do it without you!





2.23.2022

Senior Scholarships for Fine Arts Students! #207Now #scholarships

There are a number of scholarship opportunities available to graduating seniors who have been involved in Fine Arts programs at Maine West. Please see the below scholarship opportunities. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask your Fine Arts teacher or Ms. Mullen, Fine Arts Department Chair. You are encouraged to submit application materials for consideration in advance of the due dates.

The scholarships will be awarded at the Senior Awards Night on May 18, 2022.


MAINE WEST FINE ARTS BOOSTERS SCHOLARSHIPS - Due March 25, 2022

Up to 5 scholarships of $400 each are awarded to college-bound seniors who have been active participants in one or more of the Maine West High School fine arts programs: Band, Choir, Orchestra, Visual Arts, Dance, Drama, Speech and Broadcasting.

SCHOLARSHIP ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS:
All applicants for scholarships awarded by the Fine Arts Boosters must:
1) Have a cumulative weighted grade point average of 3.0 or higher through the end of the fall semester senior year.
2) Be active in the Maine West Fine Arts programs for a minimum of 2 years.
3) Complete the FAB scholarship online application in its entirety including the transcript copy by submission deadline.  
4) Provide intention of enrollment to a college or university.  Since this is before the commitment date for most universities, the specific school is not required.

Applications must be submitted by midnight on Friday, March 25, 2022.  Only electronic submissions will be accepted.  Late submissions will not be accepted.

HERE is a link to the scholarship application. (Please note, you must use a non-district email address to complete this form.)

If you have any questions, please email them to: MaineWestFineArts@gmail.com
 
Award decisions are made at the sole discretion of the Fine Arts Boosters Scholarship Committee.


DES PLAINES HISTORY CENTER - SCHOLARSHIP FOR EXTRAORDINARY MERIT IN FINE ARTS - Due April 8, 2022

Award: One $500.00 unrestricted scholarship and certificate to be given to the top applicant. 

Applicant Qualifications: 
  • Must be a graduating senior from Maine West High School. 
  • Must demonstrate “extraordinary merit” in a fine arts field (as defined by the content makeup  of the Fine Arts Department at Maine West). Merit may be demonstrable through extraordinary  achievement and/or potential in a fine arts field. 
  • By applying, the applicant commits to provide a brief biography and photograph to be published  in the Des Plaines History Center’s newsletter and social media. 
  • There are no GPA or other specific qualifications for this award. 
Application Guidelines: 
  • Student applicants must write a brief letter (no more than 300 words) regarding their interest,  achievement, and/or potential in a fine arts field. The student must submit this as a Word  document or PDF via email to scholarships@desplaineshistory.org
  • Student applicants must attain one brief recommendation (no more than 300 words) from a Fine  Arts teacher at Maine West that describes extraordinary achievement and/or extraordinary  potential in a fine arts field. Rather than list achievements, please express to us the dedication,  talent, “spark,” or “x-factor” that you see. The teacher must submit this as a Word document or  PDF via email to scholarships@desplaineshistory.org
  • All application materials must be received by 11:59PM on April 8. No variances granted.
  • Applicants may apply for either the social sciences or the fine arts scholarship, not both. 
Adjudication: 
  • The staff of the Des Plaines History Center will receive and judge the applications. 
  • We will consider:
    • Clarity in the applicant’s writing 
    • Ability of the applicant to express achievement and/or potential in a fine arts field
    • The degree to which a teacher expresses achievement and/or potential of the student


JOEL DAUBE MUSIC SCHOLARSHIP - Due April 25, 2022

The Joel Daube Memorial Music Scholarship is given in memoriam of Joel Daube, a Maine West student who made a tremendous impact in the lives of his family, peers and teachers. This scholarship is to be conferred on a graduating senior(s) involved in the music programs in the Maine West Fine Arts Department. The scholarship is to be awarded to a student who excels in music performance and demonstrates exemplary interpersonal, leadership, and character standards. This scholarship fund provides 3 senior scholarships, each $500, to Fine Arts students through 2023. 

HERE is a link to the scholarship application.

In addition to awarding this scholarship, we are looking for contributions to this scholarship fund. If you are interested in making a contribution in memory/honor of Joel Daube, please see this contribution form for more information.



2.18.2022

Broadcasting Students' Coverage of Chicago Auto Show #207Now #mediaarts @wmth_mainewest #chicagoautoshow

This week, students in the Broadcasting course attended the Chicago Auto Show to produce news stories with interviews of attendees and auto manufacturer representatives, as well as b-roll video footage of various cars featured at the show. 

Students learned important skills related to interviewing, news writing, and shooting technique.

The final product of this project will be news stories around the following topics: new electric vehicles, the Jeep exhibit, the Chevy exhibit, and more.






2.15.2022

Chamber Music Night - An Evening of Beautiful Music featuring MW Orchestra Students #207Now @mworchestras #chambermusic #stringsrock

Students in the Maine West Orchestra program performed works of chamber music for friends and family members tonight in the Learning Resource Center. Chamber Music is music that is written for small ensembles, as opposed to large ensembles (like orchestras), and these works are intended to be performed in smaller, more intimate rooms, or "chambers." The LRC provided the perfect venue tonight.

Chamber music is much more demanding for individual musicians, as each person  has to hold their own on their part. In absence of a conductor, the ensemble must learn to communicate non-verbally in order to cue each other and help shape the musical phrase.

The students in the Maine West Orchestra Program performed very well tonight. Bravo, students! Thank you for sharing your music with us this evening!

















More pictures and video clips can be found HERE

2.14.2022

Spreading Love Through Music #207Now #musiced #artsed #musichonorstories #artsenrich

Maine West music students helped spread some love and appreciation for each other this Valentine's Day. Before school, a chamber ensemble of musicians from the orchestra program welcomed students and staff into the building with beautiful music.

During lunch periods, students from the Maine West chapter of the Tri-M Music Honor Society performed Valentunes, singing telegrams students purchased for each other.

Thank you, students, for enriching our lives through sharing your music!


2.11.2022

Guest Speaker Kelly Fitzgerald Visits Photography Classes #CareersInArt #207Now #artsed #photography @mainewestart

Guest speaker, Kelly Fitzgerald, a Maine West Alumna and local professional photographer with her own portrait studio, The Fitzgerald Studio, visited Ms. Lloyd's photography classes this past week. She talked with students about the business aspect of being a photographer and running an independent, small business. Working as an artist is a viable and lucrative career path, but requires multi-faceted skills and a lot of time and energy spent on "non-art" tasks. Some of the topics she introduced to the students included: branding, marketing, sales, customer service and customer satisfaction.

After the lesson on running a business, Ms. Fitzgerald taught a lesson on studio lighting because Maine West Photography students are just about to start their studio portrait unit.

Thank you, Ms. Fitzgerald, for sharing your time, knowledge and talents with the students of Maine West! Thank you to Ms. Lloyd for arranging this career connection opportunity for our Fine Arts students!






2.10.2022

Fine Arts and English Departments Collab on Poetry Typography Videos #207Now #collaboration #typography #poetry #film #mediaarts @wmth_mainewest

The Fine Arts and English Departments have engaged in an interdepartmental creative project between student filmmakers and poets. Students at West typically study poetry and write poems to perform at the annual Poetry Out Loud event in February. This year, student filmmakers have joined in the fun! Typography films are becoming an increasingly popular genre of film, and the poetry unit offered the perfect opportunity for artistic collaboration.
Student filmmakers who are in Ms. Orr's Digital Video Production, Broadcasting, and Advanced TV and Film classes are working on creating films for each poem. These students are learning important tools of the trade, like elements of fonts, how to animate and key frame text, how to edit color, font and space, and using movement to enhance meaning. In addition, these students are having to analyze each poem in order to find ways to amplify the meaning of the text, thereby learning about important language considerations for poets.

Collaborations such as this create deeper learning opportunities for all students involved! Thank you to Ms. Orr and to the English teachers for working together on this project!

If you would like to look at some of the typography videos, click THIS LINK.








2.03.2022

Be Our Guest! Maine West Fine Arts Presents...BEAUTY AND THE BEAST! #207Now #beautyandthebeast #musicaltheatre @mainewestdrama @mainewesttechcrew

Maine West’s Fine Arts Department is excited to present Disney’s “Beauty And The Beast” February 24, 25 & 26 at 7:00 pm and February 27 at 2:00 pm. The show is directed by Mr. David Harmon.

“Beauty and the Beast” is a French fairy tale that was first published in 1740. Since then, this tale of transformation and love has been adapted into books, films, and television shows. In 1992, Disney’s animated film won Academy Awards for best picture, original film score, and for sound mixing.  Maine West’s production will include the show stopping tunes “Be Our Guest,” “Gaston,” and “Human Again.”


The cast is made up of 55 students who auditioned and demonstrated skills in acting, singing, and dancing. “The energy of the cast is what stands out the most to me! This year’s turnout for auditions was the biggest this school has seen in recent history,” Harmon says about the cast and the audition turnout.  “Watching some of the newer actors learn and engage with the more seasoned actors is amazing to see from a directing perspective.”


The show will be accompanied by a full, live pit orchestra conducted by Bernie Gerstmayr, Maine West Band Director. The orchestra is composed of 27 student musicians from the band and orchestra programs at Maine West.


Behind the scenes is a tech crew of about 20 students, under the direction of auditorium manager Peter McManus. The crew is designing and constructing the set, designing and controlling the lighting, organizing all props, and handling all of the sound engineering. Costumes are being designed by the talented Kate Murphy.


Lex Haliotis, junior tech crew member, mentions how great it is to see a whole new group of people involved in this year’s production and sharing his enjoyable experience on working on the set. “The most enjoyable part of the process for me is the building of sets. It’s really low energy and chill, just getting work done and hanging out. I think the audience will appreciate just how much we do, and how we make a lot of the things we do interesting.“


For many of the new members, creating new connections and new friends has been an added bonus. Daniel Solomon, currently a sophomore, landed the role as Gaston.  “I personally have never been in a musical production before. This was my first audition, and I ended up landing a major role for which I'm extremely thankful.” He also shares, “Secondly, the most enjoyable part of the process is watching my peers grow out of their shells, and experience new things alongside me. I've watched friends who have never been comfortable speaking in front of a crowd become full-fledged singers.”


Playing Belle is senior Ali Krieger.  She feels that after being in quarantine, when engaging with others was so limited, it has been very enjoyable to rehearse with people again and directly work together. “What makes this production stand out from other productions is the energy, commitment, people, and all the work that we have put into it. Especially, unlike last year, this year we have the wonderful opportunity to perform live again! This musical is giving the students involved a chance to feel like we are getting back to normalcy.”


Be sure not to miss this heartwarming and enchanting tale of “Beauty And The Beast.” 


PERFORMANCE DATES & TIMES:

FEBRUARY 24, 25, 26 at 7:00 pm

FEBRUARY 27 at 2:00 pm


TICKET PRICES: Students $7/ Adults $10 (General Admission)


Because of the popularity of this show, you are strongly encouraged to purchase your tickets in advance. Doors will open 30 minutes prior to the show time.


TO PURCHASE TICKETS: 

www.mainewestdrama.org  




Storytime
with Belle

In addition to the Sunday matinee on February 27th of  “Beauty and the Beast” there will be a special event prior to the show: “Storytime with Belle.”  This event is sponsored by the Maine West Fine Arts Boosters, and will feature a meet and greet with several members of the cast who will also be reading a story, a photo session with cast members, and surprise gifts for attendees.


All proceeds go to support musical productions at Maine West High School. 


February 27, 2022 at 12:30 p.m.- 1:30 pm

TICKET PRICE: $5


TO PURCHASE TICKETS AND RESERVATIONS: http://mainewestfab.com/musical/