How Alumni Help the Trinity Prep Theater Program Thrive

 

Since Janine Papin, theater teacher and former theater program director, started teaching at the school 26 years ago, Trinity Prep’s Theater program has grown from a single production each semester into a vibrant, student-centered department. With support from school leadership, alumni engagement, and travel experiences that connect students to professional theater, Trinity Prep uses the arts to build not only performers but confident, compassionate people.

Evolving to Adapt to Student Needs

Today, students have roughly six opportunities each year to hone their performance skills through productions and showcases. The department has expanded to include multiple levels of acting instruction, production coursework, and more student-created work at the high school level. Middle school offerings have grown as well, giving younger students earlier access to a broader range of performance skills and experiences.

Over time, the program has stayed responsive to the needs, interests, and schedules of Trinity Prep’s high-achieving students. Travel opportunities are one way it does that, including the chance to participate in the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland every four years and a trip to Broadway in New York City every other year. On a recent visit to New York, students saw The Book of Mormon and met a cast member who is also a Trinity Prep alumnus, an experience that offered both a memorable backstage connection and a powerful reminder of what sustained effort and commitment can make possible.

What Makes Trinity Prep Theater Distinctive

Due to the program's small size and leadership-level support, students benefit from forming personal connections with one another and their teachers. Faculty know students deeply, set personal goals, and target individual needs, which go a long way toward nourishing their talents. This barrier-breaking approach helps students achieve what they want to achieve on an artistic and personal level.

Papin has seen students go on to do amazing things, from serving the community through the arts to performing in Broadway productions. From her perspective, success comes from the life skills you build while learning the arts. These skills include compassion, empathy, listening, and understanding people’s stories. Theater supports academic growth and human development, not just performance skills. The most successful artists have a combination of dedication, vulnerability, and talent. Art is a journey for every artist, and growth should always be the goal. 

 “Excellence is striving for the next level and knowing there’s always something to learn,” Papin explained.

How Alumni Actively Shape the Program

You don’t need to look far to see the impact alumni have on Trinity Prep’s Theater program. At one point, five Trinity Prep alumni worked on Broadway productions simultaneously. Mentorship and master classes are some of the primary tools alumni bring to theater students. Even during the pandemic, an alumnus performing in “Hamilton” gave a master class over Zoom. Program alumni also provide guest coaching and directing, as well as tech and design support for technical theater students. Recently, this coaching came from an alum with Broadway credits, including Matilda, who returned to support Trinity Prep’s production of Matilda through choreography training.

Keeping Alumni Connected After Graduation

Encouraging high school students to stay engaged with their school after graduation can be a challenge, but for Papin, it’s all about personal connection. Papin and her fellow faculty work to build authentic relationships with students while they are still on campus, then offer ongoing support, continuing to be their cheerleaders and advocates even after graduation. By being there for students during and after their time on campus, Papin builds meaningful connections on both sides. 

“They made a difference in my life, and I made a difference in theirs,” Papin stated.

As the program continues to evolve, Papin hopes to see expanded community outreach, bringing theater into the community to build bridges with local schools, nursing homes, and businesses. This would be the best way to encourage people who have never tried theater to give it a try and see if it speaks to them the way it has for so many of Trinity Prep’s theater students and alumni. Arts build connections that foster community, and Papin is working to create even more of it at Trinity Prep. To learn more about our vibrant theater program, visit our website.