Mr. Cross has taken a new role at Bronxville High School in the Theatre Department this year. This semester he is teaching a directing class, followed by an acting class that will be offered in the spring semester.

      Before he became an English teacher, Mr. Cross acted and directed for ten years, starring in off-Broadway musicals and Shakespeare plays. With his years of experience, he has now been given the opportunity to teach acting and directing here at Bronxville High School. When the position was offered, Mr. Cross called it “an obvious choice,” even if it means teaching an extra class. From his perspective, teaching theatre is a chance for him to share his passions with students. Classes are open to all high schoolers and there is a range of students from each grade. While some students may be taking the course for an art credit, Mr. Cross hopes that he will inspire his class to explore artistic pursuits or at the very least, gain a greater appreciation for the work that goes into a theatre production.

      In both the English and Drama classrooms, Mr. Cross feels the best way to learn is through experience rather than lecturing. As a student in his AP Language class, I can attest to that. We frequently get out of our seats and interact with our peers. We do activities where we are assigned a particular perspective and we must debate from that viewpoint. Having these experiences integrated into our class period keeps students engaged and encourages them to be active learners.

      Finally, in addition to teaching, Mr. Cross is also directing the fall play, Almost, Maine, Almost, Maine is a play written by John Cariani that is composed of nine short vignettes. Set in a fictional town in Maine, each two-person scene explores love and loss. This production falls under the romantic comedy genre and almost every member of the thirteen person cast has a lead role. Mr. Cross commented upon how strong the cast is this year and how the play is gradually coming together, with the cast members taking an active role not just in their own part but also with staging and other logistics. We hope to see you all there on either opening night (Friday, November 2nd), or at the following performance on November 3rd! Best of luck to the cast, Mr. Cross, and anyone else involved!