Elementary

The Junior Drama Team is the theatre program of the elementary schools of the North Adams Public School System. It is the younger sibling to the Drury Drama Teamand older sibling to the Beginning Drama Team. It is directed by Liz Urban.

Mr. James E. Montepare, Superintendant, North Adams Public Schools

Dr. Len Radin, District Drama Coordinator

Liz Urban, Elementary Drama Team Facilitator

Noella Carlow, Program Coordinator 21st Century After School Program

Liz Urban Liz Urban (Director of the Junior Drama Team)- Liz's career in theatre began in high school as a member of the Drury Drama Team. While at Drury, Liz became an honor Thespian and won the Willie Award for acting. She also attended the International Thespian Festival in 1997. Upon graduating from Drury, Liz attended Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, NY, and earned a Bachelor's degree in Theatre in 2001. While at Skidmore, Liz was also very active in the Dance Department and spent her final semester working with the Home Made Theatre at SPAC on a production of Our Town. After returning to the North Adams area, Liz founded Mill City Productions, a community theatre who's mission statement involves bringing affordable and accessible theatre to Berkshire County. Liz serves as Artistic Director of the company, which is currently in their 7th season. In addition to Mill City, Liz has worked for the Williamstown Theatre Festival in their educational outreach program, the Greylock Theatre Project. Having worked as the Project Manager for 5 years, she now consults and occasionally teaches and serves as a dramaturg. Liz enjoys acting and directing and has appeared in many plays. Some of her favorite past roles include Becca in Rabbit Hole, Squeaky Fromme in Assassins, Estelle in No Exit, Mollie in The Mousetrap and Shelby in Steel Magnolias. Liz has also directed many productions including, The Dumb Waiter, Sorry, Wrong Number, The Hitchhiker, The Little Prince, Variations of the Death of Trotsky and A Christmas Carol. One of Liz's other loves in the theater is choreography. She has choreographed 11 musicals some of which include, The Wizard of Oz, You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown, Pippin and Zombie Prom.

Liz enjoys working with the students of the Junior Drama Team and especially loves feeling their sense of accomplishment when they take their final bows. Her biggest philosophy in educational theatre is to use theatre as a tool to help students realize their talents as well as to give them confidence and an understanding of responsibility. She hopes all of her students will come away from the program with a feeling of accomplishment and self-worth. It is especially rewarding for her to see her former students move on to high school and shine on the Drury stage. Currently, Liz teaches the theatre program for 4th- 7th grade as well as a class focused on musical theatre for 5th- 7th grade.

Mike Grogan was raised in North Adams Ma, and was a member of the Drury Drama Team for four year playing such roles as the Mad Hatter in Alice in Wonderland to Mac Murphy in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. Mike was a member of the International Thespian Society and traveled with the team to Lincoln Nebraska for a week-long festival where he performed twice. In his junior year mike was voted best thespian by his peers. In his senior year Mike was awarded the Willie, the Williamstown Community Theater award.

Mike then attended BCC to study theater and was awarded the Falconer award in his freshman year for outstanding work as a freshman studying theater arts. A number of years ago Mike and some friends, many Drury Drama Team alumnae founded Mill City Productions a non-profit theater company where he served as vice president as well as director for several of the shows.

A Mike Grogan award (The Mikey) was established in 2011 in his memory.

These images are from the Junior Drama Team production of The Jungle Book presented on June 13, 2009.