Our co-curricular process begins in June of each year with grade 12 students writing the play. The following school year, the cast and crew rehearse in class and after school. For the past ten years we have presented our original play in April at Centennial Theatre.  

Like all our plays, we continue to explore two of our central themes: peace education and conflict resolution. As educators, we believe that through co-creating a play, students move through a process of working cooperatively as a community. Through the practices of working cooperatively, students develop an appreciation for people, differences, arts, and excellence! The co-creating process also provides an outlet for students to make various connections with current social issues.

Handsworth Staff

​ Dr. David Beare, he/him  Senior Theatre Teacher   School Play Producer & Director  ​dbeare@sd44.ca	​ David has been teaching and directing theatre with youth since 1997 in Ottawa, Windsor, Toronto, and North Vancouver. He has been teaching at Handsworth since 1996. Each year David leads grade 12 theatre students through a complex play-creating process, which involves over 100 actors, dancers, singers, and tech students to present their original play in the new Handsworth theatre space.
​ Tracey Lloyd, she/her  English Teacher  School Play Director  ​tlloyd@sd44.ca	​Tracey has been teaching English and history since 1991 in Toronto and North Vancouver. She has been at Handsworth since 2006. Since 2007, Tracey has worked with amazing young artists and colleagues to create and stage original plays. Her English 12 Theatre and Performance Class, provides the opportunity for students to inquire as a learning community to explore the themes, topics, and connections that organically arise from the students’ reading and writing assignments in the English 12 curriculum and the students’ collective co-creation.
​ Natasha Ray, she/her  English & Junior Drama Teacher   School Play Director  ​nray@sd44.ca	​Since 2016, Natasha has been teaching junior drama and English at Handsworth. Natasha creates a safe learning environment for grade 8 and 9 drama students to develop performance skills and to build a supportive and caring community. In addition, Natasha co-directed various annual school plays.
​​ Sandra Droulis, she/her  Dance & Junior Drama Teacher  Hands Up & School Play Dance Coach  sdroulis@sd44.ca	​Sandra has taught dance, drama, and English in West Vancouver, Squamish, and Whistler. She arrived at Handsworth in September 2021 to lead the Handsworth dance program. Sandra teaches Dance 9-12 and Drama 8. She produces two Hands Up dance shows per school year, and she serves as the dance coordinator for different school events such as the school play, No Regrets Tournament, and Remembrance Day ceremony. Overall, she works closely with student choreographers to create original dances for all shows.

Handsworth Volunteers