Leti Bernard, Features Editor
THEATRICS: A new theater teacher joins the Poly staff, bringing innovative ideas to the program.
The Arthur Littleworth Theater, mainly known as the “Little Theater,” has been a platform for many of Poly’s successful theater productions. With the new school year already in progress, there is no doubt that Poly’s theater program will continue to create more great productions, thanks to the new theater teacher, Christ MarkerMorse.
Considering his seasoned career in teaching, MarkerMorse knows exactly what to do in order to maintain the flourishing success of Poly’s theater program. After his career teaching at Huntington Beach High School in the 1980s, he came to Riverside for graduate school at the University of California Riverside with his wife. He then worked at Magnolia Elementary School for 16 years, where he taught an after-school theater program. Before becoming the theater teacher at Poly this year, he taught theater and U.S. History at Arlington High School.
This teaching position at Poly is the perfect match for MarkerMorse. “Friends called me while I was out of state to tell me the position was open. I really was excited, as my children have gone, are going and will go to Poly; it is a walking distance from my house and has an incredible reputation in the community. I jumped at the chance to teach here,” MarkerMorse said.
These perks are just the icing on the cake. MarkerMorse is simply overjoyed that he can work at a distinguished school doing something that he truly loves—teaching theater to students. “What’s not to enjoy about teaching theater? I get to work with some of the most talented students and teachers in Riverside, working on acting, improvisation and performance, putting on productions that make people laugh, cry, think and feel. The theater students at Poly are among the most gifted student performers I have ever worked with. It is a joy to teach theater every day,” MarkerMorse said.
There is even greater potential for Poly’s theater program to succeed this year, for MarkerMorse has a strong plan in place to help it do so. MarkerMorse is expanding the program by including three main stage productions: a comedy, a drama and a musical. Poly Theater is also planning to create departments and schoolwide productions. These will include talent from Poly’s visual arts, digital arts, band, orchestra and choral music programs. Poly Theater is also adding a competitive improvisation and comedy group, Comedy Sportz, and will continue to produce student-directed one-acts.
Furthermore, it wants the theater program to start branching out into the community. To do so, Poly Theater is working on writing a grant that will allow it to collaborate with the band students at Central Middle School to generate a short musical, based on The Phantom Tollbooth.
There are an abundance of goals for Poly Theater in the years to come as well. “I would like to see a program that integrates technology (originally digitally produced music, video and art) into various production types, from small group improvisation to community-based theater arts to our main stage and schoolwide programs,” MarkerMorse said. These visions for Poly’s theater program all work toward MarkerMorse’s main aspiration of creating top-notch theater productions. “A great piece of theater can make you feel and think, react with genuine emotion and enjoy the moment,” MarkerMorse said.
With his passion and determination, MarkerMorse can certainly lead the Poly Theater to greatness and future success. It is a tremendous privilege to have MarkerMorse on staff at Poly. With his skill and dedication to the program, the possibilities for the Poly Theater are seemingly endless.
Picture by John Burke/ The Poly Spotlight