Fairfax High's New Theater Arts Director Shaking Things Up

Audiences may be surprised with what they see come out of the Fairfax High School Theater Department this year.

The department's new head, Erich DiCenzo, who just took the position shortly before school started this year, is shaking things up and bringing real-world industry experience to the school's productions.

A native of Pittsburgh, Penn., DiCenzo moved to New York City after graduation, where he worked as a successful actor for a few years, and even toured regionally with a production of High School Musical. 

DiCenzo said he soaked up every minute of the life before taking off on a year-long cruise around the world, visiting 68 different countries and more than 100 different ports of call.

After all that excitement, DiCenzo said he decided that he wanted to settle down a bit. He got his masters degree, and then started looking into schools seeking a theater arts director.

Fairfax High School seemed like the perfect bit—for both parties.

DiCenzo said, in his interview, he told them he could envision really shaking things up and building the school's theater program, taking it to a whole new level it had never been before.

Apparently, that is exactly what Fairfax High wanted to hear, and a new relationship was born.

What's Coming Up This Year

Less than two months into the school year, DiCenzo is already leaving his mark all over the FX Players, Fairfax High's theater arts company, and creating quite a buzz in the region.

First and foremost, DiCenzo said he started applying his knowledge of exactly what it's like to be a professional, working actor, and part of a professional, working theater company, and teaching it to the students, as well as applying it to how FX Players is run.

"I think there's a real success that can come from somebody with practical experience in the field," he said. "So that's been my philosophy here—I'm approaching it from the standpoint of my experience in the field."

After all, FX Players is a professional theater company, that runs a professional-grade theater that not only puts on its own productions, but rents out its working theater to local businesses, organizations and companies for events, often with the school's technical students helping out backstage.

DiCenzo said, it's been a bit of an adjustment for some of the students who aren't used to such a serious, practical approach to the craft, but mostly, they seem to appreciate it and want to learn from him and his experience, he said.

Another way he shook things up from day one was to completely change the season of shows as it had been set for 2013-14.

DiCenzo said, it was out with the tried-and-true classics, and in with the modern, challenging and contemporary.

"I wanted [the shows this year] to be fresh and relevant," he said.

The fall play he has chosen is Almost, Maine, and the spring musical, 9 to 5.

Almost, Maine is a new romantic comedy that takes place in a mythical town. The story follows a series of couples through attempts to make connections with each other. Each scene is a vignette that introduces a new couple, and as they stumble through life, they make connections in endearing and often funny ways, he described.

DiCenzo said, the elements of the show really allow him to work with the students on the craft, because the characters are real people that are relatable and go through real-life situations.

For the spring musical, he is really looking forward to 9 to 5, he said—the 1980's movie that Dolly Parton made famous has recently had a revival on Broadway, and DiCenzo is excited that Fairfax High will be the first high school in the region to do it for their musical.

"No high school around here has done 9 to 5 yet—and there's already a buzz in the local theater arts community about us being its debut," he said.

There's Quite the Talent at Fairfax High

All in all, DiCenzo said he is constantly impressed with how talented the students of Fairfax High are.

"These are already college-level actors," he said. "I'm extremely impressed by the talent at Fairfax." 

"And it makes me excited for the future," he added. "It could be quite limitless, especially as we add this new level of professionalism."

DiCenzo said he also appreciates the incredible level of support his ideas and goals have received from fellow faculty members, administrators and parents.

"There's a lot of energy around here," he said.

In another bold move, DiCenzo said he will be utilizing many of his contacts in New York City to put on some exciting workshops with current, working Broadway actors at Fairfax High this spring, that will also be open to the broader public as well, and will raise funds for the department. The first such workshop will likely take place in March.


TELL US - What do you think of DiCenzo's bold new ideas he is bringing to the FX Players theater arts program? Tell us in the comments.

FOLLOW FAIRFAX CITY PATCH FOR THE LATEST NEWS AND EVENTS!