Broadway actress Donna Vivino holds workshop for WVMS Drama Club

Donna Vivino, a renowned Broadway actress and singer, held a workshop with the Warwick Valley Middle School Drama Club on Monday afternoon. Ms. Vivino is best known for playing Elphaba in “Wicked” on Broadway and was the original Young Cosette in “Les Miserables”, also on Broadway.

 After listening to two songs from the drama club’s spring production of “Newsies”, Ms. Vivino gave the students feedback and advice. She also answered many questions from the students, who gathered around her on the stage.

 “I think we learned a lot from the workshop,” said drama club member Ashlyn Brown. “She gave us a lot of good tips for healthier singing and told us about things to do if you get nervous before a performance.”

Ms. Vivino described theater as a team sport and told the students that every single person in the cast is important. She encouraged the students to stay in their characters, whether as a lead or part of the ensemble. Ms. Vivino explained that she got the theater bug after playing Jiminy Cricket in a third-grade production of “Pinocchio”. She acted in “Les Miserables” when she was eight. Most recently, she acted in an episode of “Law and Order”.

“I liked how she was able to tell us about her life in the industry and gave us tips on how to get to a higher level if we wanted to,” Madison Lijoi said. “I enjoyed how she critiqued everyone’s singing and told us how we can improve for our show.”