Welcome to the Home of Performing and Visual Arts at JHCP
UPCOMING EVENTS!
Spring Music Show - Thursday, March 14 @ 6:00pm
Doors open at 5:30pm
Cost $5.00 (no tickets sold at the door)
Spring Play - Peter Pan - Thursday, March 21 @ 6:00pm
Doors open at 5:30pm
Cost $10.00 (some tickets may be available day-of)
Spring Arts Cabaret - Late May, date and time TBD
____________________________________________________________________
ARCHIVAL NOTES
2023 - 2024:
We hosted two winter concerts this year. The first production, led by Mrs. Farr on the main stage, featured a selection of songs performed by students in Music Appreciation and Modern Band. The second concert staged in the Black Box was led by Mr. Catomer and featured performances from the Hancock Drum Line as well as beginning, intermediate, and advanced band students.
2022 - 2023:
We tried something new this year and hosted our first annual Fine Arts Festival celebrating all types of art. Students performed on stages throughout the first floor, playing instruments, singing, dancing, presenting short plays, and showcasing their artwork in a gallery and slideshows. We also had two successful winter music concerts showcasing the Hancock Band, Modern Band, Music Appreciation, and Chorus students. Students in Drama II also presented an original play, The In-Between, written by student Joaquin Medina. AP Art students showcased their skills with one student earning a 5 on the exam and 9 students earning 4s and an overall pass rate of 75%.
2021 - 2022:
This school year saw the opening of the newly built Hancock College Prep building near 65th and Central. As part of the new building, we moved into several new arts spaces including two rooms for visual arts, a suite of music classrooms and rehearsal spaces, a gymnatorium with a state-of the-art sound and lighting equipment, and a one-of-a-kind black box theater. In these new spaces we were able to put on five shows including three music events and two full-length theatrical productions - She Kills Monsters and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
2020 - 2021:
This school year took place virtually, but the Fine and Performing Arts department still did a lot of work. Students in visual arts created portfolios aided by the heroic efforts of Ms. Rosenbaum and Mr. Bozik, who made it possible for students to take home supplies to do this work. The Drama students wrote and produced an original film which they edited as a collaborative project. Music students continued to rehearse and prepare for a return to school by practicing independently.
2018 - 2019:
Drama: The Drama II/III students completed their fall production, The Strangest Life: A Festival of One-Act Plays. We welcomed 52 audience members to our experiment with theater in the round as students presented a selection of seven one-acts plays which they chose, cast, rehearsed, and directed. In the spring we presented an original work called What's Your Story? featuring 9 one-act plays written by students in Drama I, II, and III.
Music: The Music Department had a successful Winter Concert in December. Nearly 300 audience members came to enjoy the band, chorus, and music appreciation students perform a selection of holiday tunes ranging from "Feliz Navidad" to "Ave Maria". In late May, audiences enjoyed a selection of music from the 1950s to today performed live at the spring concert, JOURNEY THROUGH TIME with the Hancock Chorus, Modern Band, and Music Appreciation students.
Other Events: New this year, Hancock was excited to welcome ASM and Chicago Opera Theater who together worked with 30 students each semester as part of the COT for Teens program. These students wrote and produced two shows featuring devised scripts and originals lyrics and choreography created by the teens. We are excited to welcome COT back this summer for an additional session. Six Hancock students also returned to compete in the Shakespeare Slam competition hosted by Chicago Shakespeare Theater.
2017-2018:
Drama: The Drama students completed two productions. Content Warning: Real Life was the winter production written by and featuring 35 students in the Drama II/III class. Check out what South Side Weekly had to say about that show here. In April, one group of students took "...but for what?" their one-act from Content Warning to a benefit gala to support the Illinois Dream Fund. In May, all 90 Drama students, including 60 Drama I students, staged a full-length production of The Laramie Project. Listen now to hear some students and a teacher talk about this year's spring theater production: Two Drama II students made a podcast about The Laramie Project
Music: Vocal and instrumental music students completed two concerts, one in the winter and one in the spring. The spring concert -- The Power Show -- focused on the question "What gives you power?" Students explored this theme through the songs they selected to learn and perform. Students in band also participated in the citywide band competition at Curie High School.
Visual Arts: Visual arts students completed a range of projects in 2D and 3D forms. In addition to displaying work in several areas around the school, a number of students also successfully completed the AP Studio Art exam.
Other Events: We had a team of 4 students participate in the Chicago Shakespeare Slam, hosted by Chicago Youth Shakespeare and Chicago Shakespeare Theatre. We also hosted a competitive talent show. Congratulations to our winners: Angel Vargas and Alondra Zepeda, class of 2018. Over spring break we took 29 students, three parents, and three staff members to New York City for a Broadway and the Arts 5-day immersive experience in partnership with EF Tours.
