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3 | And the word becomes flesh - The Drama Program with Mrs. Maria Romine · CASTLcast

• Jake: All right, welcome back to another episode of Castle Cast. I'm here today with Mrs. Maria Romine. how are you doing today? I'm doing well. I'm doing well. I'm very happy to be here. Yeah, really really excited to have you on to the show. so you are involved in a number of the other parts of the curriculum, but most well known as the drama teacher, director of the plays, etc. Yes, yes. and I I'm very blessed to have been able to be here at the beginning of Castle. Well, we had sophomores and freshmen, so we were able to kick off our drama program. that first year and that helped really pave the way for what we have now here at Castle. and I I just love the curriculum. So being able to to be there at the very beginning and knowing how the curriculum sets the students up for preparing for drama for their sophomore through senior year. Really Actually may help me be a stronger teacher. The the students have taught me probably more than what I have taught them. And just the fact that they are so by the time they hit their senior year, they are so well-rounded in theology and philosophy that they are able to tackle Shakespeare. I I'm kind of starting at the summit as opposed to at the bottom of the mountain. But to see students perform Shakespeare and understand what they're saying. is a beautiful thing and especially I am a professional actress. I've I have done my share of Shakespeare. I played Queen Gertrude in Hamlet several times, Gonerel in King Lear and Narissa in the Merchant of Venice. So I have a census Shakespeare, but I actually had to, because I didn't have this classical curriculum background, I've had to work and study and I still don't have it. What I see in my students when they do perform Shakespeare is this real understanding of the language and of Shakespeare and then his time. And they take all that knowledge and they really build these characters and understand the language in a way that unfolds. And it's such a beautiful thing. It's it's kind of the payoff after four years of the curricul curriculum here at Castle. but let's start at the beginning instead of at the end. I'm terrible about that. that. No, no, that's that's fine. We're giving people a taste of you know what they might talk about throughout this episode. But yeah, she mentioned being here at the beginning. So so real quick, 'cause I do definitely want to get to the drama curriculum and why it's such an important part of of the whole kind of holistic student formation here at Castle. but so you were kind of here in the pre beginning too, so to speak. A member of the society GK Chesterton. I just kinda curious and maybe other people be curious, like like at what point did you know like hey, there's a school being started here, and at what point did did you think you might be involved in it? I'm kind of curious. I'm sure you had some experience too with some of the previous Chesterton schools around the country. I was blessed. I met I worked with a company called Theater of the Word that was based here in St. Louis. And so I met Dale Alquist very early on when he was just starting his academy. And it was only for his students, his p his high school students that were starting high school. So he was trying to answer what every parent who's struggling looking around and going, Well, I want to send my kids to a high Catholic high school, but I've not really seen any Catholic high schools. And so him being a very Chestertonian man, he created one with the the help of another gentleman and it was only meant to happen in Minnesota and then other Chestertonians saw these students and encountered these students and it really it To have a student form thoughts in eloquent sentences and I'll actually also challenge you in thinking blew me away. and I encountered those students early on and then Mrs. Alquist, who was the drama teacher, still is the drama teacher up in the Twin Cities, invited me to teach stage combat. That's my background is stage combat. So I helped them with their production of Macbeth and I loved working With these students that really thought things out and had a real sense of the the text. And I actually told my husband, I said, I almost want to move to Minnesota. I hate the cold. Like I fuss all winter long. And here in St. Louis, we do not have Minnesota weather. No. winters are short. Yeah. So he said, Well, I let's not do that, honey. That's a little too rash. But you know, anytime you get a chance to go to Minnesota. This is the Alquest for sure. So definitely did that. definitely kept in touch with that Chesterton. Never thought in a million years that we would have a Chesterton school in St. Louis, but being a member of the society, one day Fred Wacker and Maria Jansen showed up at our society meeting and said, hey, we're part of a group of parents that want to start a Chesterton school here in St. Louis. And I was thrilled beyond belief. We had been I'm part of the Francis Chesterton Rosary League. We pray for all the the schools. The those that we don't know that are that might come into existence and those that are already in existence, kinda like those parents that are are praying for a child. Well, we were praying and not necessarily for a school here in St. Louis, but Lo and behold, we were we were being told here here comes this this beautiful thing. And so having obviously experience with the one in Minnesota, I handed my card to Maria Janssen and said, Hey, Anything I can do to help, I I know what this looks like. I'm so excited for you. I will we'll be praying for you, but anything I can do to help, I would love to. So when fundraising started, and this group was very smart. Let's let's actually start have our first gala and kind of raise money before we actually have a school and and students and a headmaster. so I was invited to be part of the first gala committee before we. We had the school and but we had potential students and they were actually already starting to they had hired Dr. Schimp just before the gala. Uh-huh. So got to meet this this gentleman. And in the process, at some point, Mr. Wacker, so Long story short, Mr. Wacker attended the Chesterton Schools Network summit and then that backs into the Chesterton Society conference. So the two conferences tend to be back to back. And Mr. Wacker actually stayed for the Chesterton Society conference and he and Joseph Pierce were giving me a hard time. I I was there not only as a society member, but I actually spoke in twenty twenty three on GK Chesterton and Our Lady. So I was there actually as a speaker and then those two were just like, Hey, you should really you should really teach drama. I'm like, No, no, no. I I'm a I'm an instructor for stage combat. I that's that's I I mean I yeah, I do teach drama for homeschools, but this is like this is a commitment. That that scared me big time. Like that is a a commitment where you have to be there for the kids and there's this regular schedule. It's like, ooh, that that's that's a lot. And I I said, No, no, I'm not, I'm not that. And the and they're like, sure, sure. You know, and they they left me alone. But as I left that conversation, I actually heard it in my heart, why did you say no when you don't know? And I was like, Lord I I don't know, but I don't like this. You know, I was like, I don't I don't I don't I the commitment scared me of of a set schedule in particular. And he was just like, Why did you say no when you don't know? And I was like, All right, Lord, I will learn to know and then I will tell you no straight out. And I talked to Mrs. Alquist the next day. I said, What does your day look like? And so she told me what her day looked like. I said, so it sounds like you have some flexibility. yeah. I was like, well, that's not so scary. And as soon as you everybody knows that if as soon as you leave the crack open, our Lord will walk in. So when it came time to apply for instructors, I actually said, Okay, Lord, you've nudged me. I'm going to do the best I can in filling out this resume. And And I'm going to do the best I can in any opening introduction letter and I I'm just gonna send it out and then if I'm chosen, it was you know, it w it was your hand. And if not, I will still be very much a supportive person in this. And then lo and behold, I get the call that from Doctor Shempei, I'm gonna interview you. Great and his first thing was, What is tell me about your prayer life? I said, I'm so glad you asked that question. And because prayer is very important to me. I'm a convert. so the Catholic Church really means a lot to me because I didn't have all the sacraments. I I I I learned the beauty of the Catholic Church, the teaching of the Catholic Church, and then how the sacraments play such an important part in in feeding your soul. And as an actress, that's what you need. That's how you get that r rock bottom solidness is is in the sacraments. And a lot of actors and actresses do not have that. They usually leave an opposing lives. But I was traveling with a company that actually was performing Catholic drama and that's how I came into the church was doing Catholic drama. Yeah. And my story isn't on the journey home. So you can look up Maria Romine, former Presbyterian, and there's my story. And if you have an hour long or you can break it into little bits, you can find out more about my conversion. But drama had a huge part in that. my relationship with Jesus just grew. with drama and and coming into the church and then it has just continued to I I love our Lord and it's so much fun to number one start off every class with prayer and then to encounter students that also l have us this love for our Lord and that's the the most important class of the day is mass. It's so so wonderful. So to then take that and say, hey, this relationship with our Lord, we can take it to our arts. And we can I guess I am going backwards. in our junior year, we kind of focus on that, how we take words off the page and make them incarnational. We embody those words, making them a character. And in junior year, I try to choose a saint because of course I was encountering a saint doing Catholic drama, and when you embody a saint, you encounter their relationship with God. And then you are also asked in your relationship with God. It's it's it's very interesting. And talk about communion of saints. You become very close to that saint. in doing that. so that is what I tried to bring to the students at Chesterton as juniors is kind of that going deeper. I say in junior drama, we're going deeper, we're really focusing on the word made flesh, and how does that work within the life of a saint? The two years previously we kind of focused on poor Claire's. that particular relationship with God, that was not intentional. That's just what I chose as plays. And that's I had the students make their own habits and that's part of their their you know, as an actor you try to learn about your character, what better way than to make your own habit? As a poor Claire or as a friar would do. Right. So My students have made their own habits as part of their training. And then the I took the young ladies to meet the poor Claire. So I had the first time we had a junior's class, I took over to the Poor Clare Monastery in Belleville. And then this last year I took the juniors to the Poor Clare monastery in Saint Louis. So Yeah. Yeah. So drama is a part of the curriculum. At many other schools, drama is a extracurricular. Yes. And and this has been something the beginning for in the Chesterton model. And certainly here in Saint Louis we're we're Drama is is part of every student participates. Exactly. Can you can you speak to that? Why is that and and how are the students benefiting? So the yeah. normally the arts are the first thing cut in a regular public school budget. just kind of addressing that. But it they really intentionally wanted the fine arts added to the Chesterton curriculum at the very beginning because that is where you can express yourself. our Lord created us. we in turn create other things. So writing, painting, performing, that is part of that. with drama, what you see in your students is it not only helps them in creating characters, but also really coming together as a group, working together as a class. and I I've seen classes actually come closer together after a show. a or even during dress rehearsal because dress rehearsal's really rough and in the trenches for sure. And that's it really is feels like a battle. And after the show or usually it's it's between the first show and the second show, you'll really see it just t it happens and we've been in the war, we've we've won one battle, we're ready to go into the second battle, and they just unify as a class and that stays the rest of the time. And then what I have gathered from them because it it took me a moment to realize I have these classes of with these students for the next two years after their first production as a sophomore. So they're part of this collaboration. So after the production is done, we I in a in the secular world they call it a post mortem making that you'd have your normal production group gather around and the actors are not involved because actors just come and go. But with this group, I like, let's call it the last rights. We're giving last rights to the show. And let's look at what what we could do better as a team, what we could what what we need to work on, what we're really pleased with, what And I have changed how I teach drama based on that, those conversations. because the curriculum is very strenuous, very very rigorous. so how do we balance that with performing? It's a lot, but I think we're called to do this rigorous work, memory work. That's the hardest, you know, learning lines, it's hard. But seeing that work, those words are in them. And they'll come back to them. you know, can you imagine if you're walking around and you suddenly know or it's just it's very interesting how well, I'm sure in theology they learn different scriptures. And so when you're like struggling or something and you a s a suddenly a scripture word come or scripture verse comes to you like, that's it just means more later on in life. So I think the I'm hoping the same thing will happen with these students with the saints they play or the characters they play or they may encounter a character that was maybe not as likable in the real world and go, that's they'll have a sympathy for that and for that particular person. look what they've gone through. I kinda get that. So it's also like this love of another person which we're supposed to have. So it's it's both. Yeah, yeah. You're speaking remaining the image and likeness of God, the creator. Mm-hmm. and so getting to participate in a a creative endeavor. each each production is a a new act of creation, so to speak. Yes. you know in a limited way, of course. Yes, yes. Metaphysic metaphysically speaking. But but then so they get into do that and you mentioned it's incarnational as well, making written word that you they're reading in the in the scripts, you know, making them really come alive for an audience. and so what is it about that that act? that like transform students that we find it's so important that they get this experience. I especially think for the the your more shy students, and I r I do I do really pray for them when I am casting a show. I've I've mentioned to the students, actually we cast had a talk today about that, is I cast my shows in adoration and there's a reason for that, because our Lord knows them better than I do. And so for my shy ones I actually go a little de I'm like, Lord, this is what I think this part would be really good for this person. it's calling them out of their shyness. This character may be they tend to be a little over the top. So they're being called out of their their s quiet shell to be this character that's over the top. But what I have seen is this growth of, wow. W you almost see the light bulb coming, Wow, I just did that. And and people liked it, you know, or the response from the audiences is this love that they weren't expecting. because there's this kid that everybody knows is quiet that suddenly just becomes this gregarious character and it's it's wonderful. And it gives them this confidence that they didn't start off with. And it also teaches them, yeah, what is fear? You know, what is fear? And how can you get out of that fear? Okay. Yeah. Or recognize decide to push forward anyways. Which is an amazing life lesson. I think something that you know a lot of parents a gift a lot of parents want to give their children is is to learn how to sort of Okay. Yeah. I'm I'm feeling anxious, I'm feeling afraid, I'm I'm nervous, I'm maybe a little bit overwhelmed. Mm-hmm. But I need to move forward anyways. Right. And what a great gift that is. And I've also learned I'm not alone, you know. Sure. Yeah. But what you're speaking about, it also sounds like you don't try to push them too fast too far. Correct. what's the right sort of you know proximate zone of development? for particular child or particular student, young lady, young man in this circ circumstance, you you're trying to see, you know. And that's treating them as a individual person. Absolutely. And I I am thankful and blessed that I'm the English country dance teacher here. So I get to encounter the freshmen as people and kinda get a sense of how they learn and just their their fun their fun character with of themselves. So that gives me a chance to see the freshmen and see what what will be coming then as a sophomore. But and also being very sensitive of those more Quiet, shy individuals and going, okay, I see that. And so even with auditions, which is the most nerve wracking thing for students and actually for actors professionals even, it's it's very much like a job interview. but I try to start the process very simple. So the first as sophomores they do a cold read. So they're given the script handed the script. write off told a little bit about the characters and then they read the lines as the character as they interpret it. So they don't have a lot of time but they and it's just a quick quick idea of what their character what they bring to the character, and then it's done. So it's not horrific, it's very fast, they're with about three other students and it and it goes really quickly. and I also get a sense of who they who they are as people coming in for an audition. You know, what's their first What what kind of first impression are they giving me? As in a job interview, we only have like I think it's three seconds to make that first impression when you walk in. and then juniors, they actually bring in a monologue, a prepared monologue. of it can be from a book, poem, movie. Yeah. And They're very creative. They're very creative. I I I was telling you I said I I just had a feast of literature they're from the junior audition. And then so like a job interview, they're they're trying to see what the director is looking for. And then they're also able to write letters of intent like I really I give them a cast list and kind of description of the characters. This time they get a little bit more information. And they try to if if they feel called to a certain character, they'll write me a letter as to why they feel called to it. So it's much more like an aud you know, a job interview where you're trying to get that opening letter and that chants in. And so you get this banquet of literature and then these letters that are very heartfelt. And you just see the beauty that is in our students. You really start to see that. And then seniors they they're so ready to do Shakespeare as I've mentioned and they have ideas and there's a l little more collaboration. I am the director, but I I am open to more because they have a lot to bring to the characters. they also will audition with this time a Shakespearean monologue so I can make sure that they kinda have a sense of the language. And then we have a a actually an interview sometimes of well what what do you see yourself at? So they get a little bit more. So it's a slow progression. So it's nothing throughout the whole three year process, but actually four years, because I I do get to see them as freshmen and dancing. So yeah, it's a it's a real blessing to see our students grow from year to year and then see how the the curriculum has has helped them become more confident as people. Yeah. So, we're here, it's towards the beginning of the school year. I guess what what should they expect? you know, we're we're we're kind of diving in, we have the sophomore play, we have the junior play. You you mentioned before like drama is a commitment and it is like obviously part of the school day, but what's like the experience of a student at Chesterton? who is okay, it's part of the curriculum, you're asked, you're kinda getting thrown into this. sometimes very willingly, sometimes less willingly. Right. You know, what what is what does it look like for the student and and you know, what what do you see over the weeks of Of the the production. Yeah. So I some of the students will be crew, but I really feel it's necessary that if you are part of the crew, you're still going to learn some lines. I think that's very good for you. That way you also understand what an actor goes through. A and I assign just a couple pages with a certain character that a student that's on crew needs to learn. And then I'll I'll give them the deadline as to when they have to have that ready to to prov perform for me is a a strong term, but they're they're definitely going to recite those lines to me. so that I can see, okay, you do have them memorized and now you kinda understand what an actor goes through. But on the flip side I also make sure that it's the sophomore show is a little hard. I I like to call it the it's the fast moving bus because it's only a quarter long for production wise. So it y they get very small snippets of what a crew member does, but I wanna kinda cover it so that they understand and respect what a crew person is doing to help with the the value of the production. So lots of potential leadership roles or the beginning of leadership roles, a sudden awareness of all the technical things that happen within a show, start coming to life. so auditions, then we have a read through, then we start blocking. I start having line quizzes because I need to make sure the most important thing is they know their lines because if they don't know their lines, it's gonna be a terrible show. It just is. And it really is hard for a director to direct a show if your actor is holding the book. I mean I can block it. But I can't really see the character if the book is so present. It's it's almost like a wall between the actor and the audience. It is. And it's crutch. So I try to remove that crutch as quickly as possible so that we can get in I try to it's a huge balance between lines and time. So managing the lines and and the time that we have given to get through it, but that's a good for us. We have a deadline and we are all str pushing to meet that deadline. And there's a lot of work with in the class to run through those lines and get tested on those lines so that they're secure in those lines. My goal is always like if I can get that all done within a month, three weeks before the show, that's gonna bring a good show because the student knows their lines very well. They can execute that. our our brains tend to work against. us when we're nervous. So if they know their lines and they know them well and they've been working with all the extra things, by the time of the show that nervousness that creeps in is not going to attack the memory like it normally would. Sure. So that's what I really try to do for this I'm trying to set that student up for success. So when they have that show, they're like, my goodness, this just happened and people loved it or wow, they laughed in places that I didn't think is funny. It's like, yeah, I I don't know why, but they just thought it was funny. And it's good for them. It really is. Sure, sure. It it strikes me that once they really know their lines Then they can really start to have fun with the with a character. whether it's a comedy or not. They can really like they don't have to be thinking about what's the next word that I'm supposed to come out come out of my mouth. They can they can just start to embody more the character that they're asked to play. Yeah. And they're g they get to play with the props because it's really hard to juggle a script in a prop. And I I really loved in Love Labor's Lost that happened last year. When they were able to get rid of those scripts and start playing with the props, the fans, the ladies suddenly had all this extra articulation, characters started just really coming to life. Yeah. And they you could see they were enjoying their role. Yeah. They and that was lovely. That was absolutely lovely. And then it also made us realize, okay, well now we need to get rid of this because I can't have it for this scene. It's like that's correct. So having having that ability to really work with props and not juggle a script and a prop is super helpful to sure, sure, sure, sure. Yeah, and then before you were talking about everything they're getting outside of drama program, philosophy, theology, literature, where they're really able to understand history too, I think, they're able to understand the the plays that they're putting on, especially as seniors, what a cool process that is. And and and so i I in in an in a nutshell, you really it's it's sort of a microcosm of life where okay, you know, I I pour into myself as a person, you know, study, knowledge, learning, right? And then also have to put effort into it in terms of learning lines, et cetera. But then then you see like this like blossoming. and then so there's all this upfront investment. Yes. in a in a student. And then you and then sort of We get to see that performance, right? Yeah, that performance at the end where they're like, Wow, this was th they see how the hard work paid off and then you as the audience get to see it and and to see these students just flourish and pr do these productions is just it's beautiful. It's absolutely beautiful and you can't help but be proud. Yeah, for sure. And even each production is is a gift to the audience as well. Absolutely. Do you ever talk to the students about about that? I don't. I really focused because I I just know in the professional world we struggle with vanity big time. Pride and vanity are huge struggles within the professional world. So I really try to hammer in that all the gifts, all the talents were given are gifts from God. Like that. There you go. Speaking of well on that note, We'll have to pick up another episode, I think, Maria. And but it's great to have you on to the show today. Thank you. We'll see you all next time on Castle Cast. And just remember, rhinos do exist.