As Tri-School Theatre celebrates 30 years of a rich and diverse legacy within our community, it’s impossible not to take a look back at the accomplishments of this unique educational theatre program. The prestigious and respected conservatory-style program shared between Servite and our sister schools Connelly and Rosary, was the brainchild of founder, Executive Director (and Rosary alumna) Amy Luskey-Barth. Founded with the mission to provide a way for students to nurture their God-given gifts through process-oriented training in a Christ-centered environment, Tri-School continues to be a safe environment for students to take risks in their work and collaborations, and grow from the challenges they overcome.
Prior to the establishment of Tri-School Theatre, Father Fred Gaglia, O.S.M. produced musicals in the Servite gym with students from all three schools and Marywood School between 1968 and 1988. Seeing the need for something more, Luskey-Barth took on the daunting task of founding a formal educational theatre program. Setting the bar high, Luskey-Barth challenged her students to push themselves and strived to produce shows with professional artistic values. Working with director and Servite alumnus Joseph Collins ’73, choreographer Randy Hills (of Broadway’s Zorba and Me and My Girl) and Tri-School’s founding Musical Director Brian Shucker, Tri-School produced back-to-back hits each year. The “Legacy of Shucker,” in fact, has been immortalized in an Inspiration Award that is given to a student each year who exemplifies Shucker’s own generosity, commitment, and passion for the arts.
Early in its history, Luskey-Barth led Tri-School to co-produce an original musical, Yearbook, which later had the honor of being performed on the main stage of the International Thespian Festival. Tri-School and its original cast of Yearbook is credited in the published script. During this “Golden Age,” Tri-School was awarded the prestigious Macy Award in 1992 for Brigadoon, 1994 for Into the Woods, 1995 for Carousel, 1996 for Fiddler on the Roof, 1997 for The Secret Garden and 1998 for Children of Eden.
By the early 2000’s, Tri-School had established itself as a key player among the educational theatre community. At this time, the Conservatory-style program offered students classes in Acting, Singing, Dancing, Playwriting, Directing, and Technical Theatre. The program would continue to garner MACYs for several more productions and be honored with a second chance to perform at the International Thespian Festival with the original 1940’s review A Joyful Noise: Sentimental Journey. The program would also perform at the distinguished Fringe Festival in Edinburgh, Scotland, first in 2006 with a revival production of Yearbook, again in 2009 with You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown, and in 2009 with the second revival of Yearbook.
It was during this time that Tri-School/Rosary alumna Hillary Pearson led as Artistic Director, growing Tri-School to produce three mainstage productions yearly, establish a strong Comedy Sportz Team, and have students elected to the California State Thespian Board of Officers for consecutive years. The 2016-2017 school year marked the return of Tri-School and Servite alumni Frankie Marrone ’03 as Executive Artistic Director as well as founding Technical Director Robert J. Robertson as Executive Director of Operations following Pearson’s retirement.
Thirty years later, Tri-School continues to be a leader in the educational theatre community offering a first-class Technical Theatre Program, conservatory classes, improvisational comedy teams, top-notch productions, and affiliations with the nationally recognized honor society, The Thespians. Alumni from all three schools currently teach classes and work in the program. To celebrate this momentous anniversary, Tri-School announced that our 2018-2019 season, Milestones and Memories, will feature a retrospective musical revue entitled Looking Back/Moving Forward in November, as well as the Rodgers and Hammerstein classic Oklahoma! (celebrating its 75th anniversary) in May. Tri-School has been a valued part of Servite’s rich 60-year history and looks forward to continued longevity in the years to come.
