Radnor Actors Workshop - How It All Began: The Legacy of Brian and Mary Anne Morgan
(From 1971 through 2012)
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    The Radnor Theatre program began in 1971 under the Superintendent of  the Radnor School District, Dr. Frank Manchester. Dr. Manchester had hoped to begin a performing arts high school for Delaware County on the grounds of the high school and wanted to add a theatre curriculum to the arts already in place (music programs and extensive art) . He later hoped to add a dance curriculum. Prior to the beginning of the program an individual was hired to direct a play once a year. No musicals were involved in any of these productions. Unfortunately the idea of the County arts school never materialized as Dr. Manchester was  hired for a state education program in Harrisburg and left the Radnor School District.
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    Mr. Brian Morgan was hired as the first theatre teacher and director at the high school. With the guidance of Dr. Manchester he began a sequential and serious training program. He was a recent graduate of the Masters program in theatre at Villanova University. He began with five classes that included a basic theatre class, other levels of acting and a Performing Shakespeare course. Brian directed several major productions each  year and included both comedy, tragedy, and experimental plays. The program grew and shortly was an integral part of the school district and community.  Brian also worked as a professional Equity actor and  as his schedule became more complicated he began to parcel out some directing projects to Mary Anne Carlson Morgan whom he had just married that year. Mary Anne also had a Masters in theatre from Villanova and although Brian cast the plays--- he was familiar with the students in the classes--- Mary Anne directed  the productions. He paid her $200.00 for directing a production!  The theatre budget was quite small at that time. 
 
    This sharing continued until 1979 when Brian was offered a position at Penn State ( State College). He was hired as an acting teacher , director, and actor in the professional acting company.  Mary Anne applied  to Radnor and was hired by Dr. John Crosby, the then superintendent who always attended all theatre productions and had seen Mary Anne’s productions.  Dr. Crosby was a great supporter of the arts at Radnor and during his tenure repeatedly spoke strongly for the program when it was under threat from a school board who questioned the value of the program. Dr. Crosby attended every play produced at Radnor High School during his tenure and always wrote a specific  and detailed congratulatory note for the cast after each production. It was quite unusual and was very encouraging to both the director and especially the students.
 
Mary Anne made some changes in the academic program as she felt that the level of students was strong enough to implement an Honors acting class. She presented a plan for the course to an academic review committee and spoke before the superintendent hoping that the course would be approved and integrated  into the curriculum. It was approved and was a part of the program until the retirement of Mary Anne (it was re-introduced under Brian Dietzler in 2014). 
 
The curriculum at the time was an Introductory Theatre course that introduced 9th graders or any other beginners to simple acting skills, a basic short scene in the first quarter, a playwriting project in the second quarter, set and costume design in the 3rd quarter and in the 4th quarter a performance piece for the entire class that would be performed in the evening for parents and friends. If a student did not continue in the program they had  then been introduced to quite a bit of what makes a play and would hopefully become a good consumer of theatre in the future. The second year course was Intermediate Theatre, a course that encompassed simple history of theatre and scene work that become more extensive as the year progressed.
 
The third year was Performing Shakespeare – an introduction to performing the works of Shakespeare  but not reading them as  in an English class. Sonnets as mini acting scenes would begin the year and later monologue and scene work along with the very difficult memorizing challenges were part of the course. Voice and articulation were a strong component during the year. It was the course where one could see a real development of the  young actors who were not afraid of Shakespeare by the end of the year.
 
The final course was Advanced Theatre (Honors). This was a course that accepted only students who had previously taken two years of theatre. The students were expected to read the plays they were involved with on their own after instruction on the script and the historical context so that class time could be spent solely on acting technique and characterization. The bulk of the course focused on classical theatre with a particular emphasis on the plays of Henrik Ibsen and other classic plays of the late 19th century.   The plays of Ibsen showed  the role of women in the society of the time and  allowed the actors to develop relationships that specifically dealt with both male/female relationships but also subtext.   With a particularly advanced group time was spent on plays by Harold Pinter, the British playwright who explored silence and subtext .  High school actors have a particularly hard time with silence within scenes and Pinter allowed for that work.  Students developed confidence that revealed itself in the major productions presented by Radnor Actors Workshop. 
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     The initial idea of Radnor Actors Workshop was to be a vehicle to showcase the work of the theatre students and allow audiences to observe their growth. Until the retirement of Mary Anne Morgan, only students enrolled in the program (classes) auditioned for the major productions. Both Mary Anne and Brian Morgan believed that those students who devoted their days to studying in the program deserved the opportunity to showcase their skills. On occasions, outside students were recruited for specific physical types but for the most part it was theatre students. Not all staff agreed with that choice but it was successful for acting purposes. When a student who had taken classes for three or four years was cast with a  beginner the growth of the individual who had studied for several years was obvious in the course of rehearsal time . Rehearsals for  all major productions were held for approximately 5-6 weeks prior to opening and were normally held in the evenings from 7- 9 PM on Mon. Wed. Thurs. and Sunday afternoons from 1-4 PM. Eventually the rehearsals were daily, especially in the last two weeks prior to an opening. 
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     One of the most significant things about Radnor Actors Workshop as the performing arm of the program is that the Radnor administration never interfered on any occasion on the choice of plays. It is a tribute to all school district  administrators that they trusted the directors of the program to be appropriate in  the choice of plays. Within this trust both Brian and Mary Anne Morgan directed very challenging and occasionally controversial subject matter.
 
      Both director/teachers felt that by exploring the world of dramatic arts from all ages and places enriched both of them and allowed the students to appreciate the world of theatrical art.  The world of dramatic literature formed the basis for all  productions at Radnor High School.   
 
     Another enrichment provided by the superintendent most committed to theatre, Dr. John Crosby , was a yearly visit by Clive Webster, a theatre professional from London. Mr. Webster was a London actor, had written an acting text and was a company manager for many  West End theatres.  Dr. Crosby initially provided the funds for the first year . Each class had a day they were excused from classes to attend a  day of theatre with Mr. Webster (an in- school field trip). Mary Anne prepared the students with scenes or monologues with  the exception of the Introductory Theatre class who worked with Mr. Webster on an improvisational story they presented at the culmination of the days work. Parents and others often attended.  The week was an incredible chance for theatre students to work with a professional actor from another country and to spend more time than they had ever experienced  in working and viewing each others work. It was often a shock to them how challenging acting  was, and was also an invaluable enrichment and helped all to grow as performers. This yearly activity was funded after the first year by the money in the budget of the theatre program and continued from 1981 until Mary Anne retired. This master class experience was an exceptional experience for everyone and Mr. Webster was always happy to work with Radnor theatre students. 
 

Productions were presented in either the large auditorium and after the renovation were generally presented in the intimacy of the Black Box -  a preferred acting space by the students. From 1979 each production was presented 4 times – opening on Thursdays, Friday , Saturday afternoons and Saturday nights. Times were initially 8 PM and 2PM, later 7:30 and 2 PM.   Performances dates were in November and either late February or midMarch.  A musical presented by the music department took over the auditorium for most of January and February each year once it was instituted. Musicals were begun at RHS initially every other year during the early 1980’s and later became a yearly event.
 

Initial cost to attend productions was $2.00 and over time  gradually became $8.00 until 2012.

The PAPA ( Parent Association for the Performing Arts) support group was first  begun by parents whose children were enrolled in the theatre program and were acting in productions. The first president was Mr. Harry  Wagenheim  followed for several years by Mr. Andy Duchovnay who had two daughters in the program. They initially cared for refreshments, printed and paid for programs and advertising and eventually began to give funds to support various aspects of the Black Box theatre. They gave the funds for the house lights needed in the new Black Box and also sponsored  many aspects of each production.They often coordinated refreshments to fit the style of the production. After several years they began to split their support between the theatre program and the musical. 
 

The theatre program also presented  end of year class projects that parents and friends could attend on one evening for each class  and held  in the theatre room. Usually the room was filled to capacity as it was a chance to see students who were in the program but not in major productions.Their was no cost to attend.  These  evenings were usually in late spring. The Introductory Theatre classes presented an improvisational show, Story Theatre each year that gave the beginner level student a chance to perform simply and without lengthy preparation and all participated. For quite a few years their were 3 Introductory Theatre classes and the Story Theatre production was divided into sections so that all could have roles. 
 

Radnor Actor Workshop students in theatre classes also performed outside of RHS. They presented acting scenes or short productions at local venues :  Wayne Presbyterian Church, Dunwoody Retirement Home, Radnor School Board meetings,  at events within the high school,  Radnor Township social events, and a major production in Philadelphia at Carpenter’s Hall.

 
    Radnor Actors Workshop continues, although in a different format - both through classes and performance with current instructor Brian Dietzler. The  theatre program and Radnor Actors Workshop has a lengthy history within the Radnor Township School District and it is hoped that  it will continue as a respected and important part of Radnor High School.
                    
Compiled by Mary Anne Carlson Morgan
  January 2018