THOMAS HARRISON MIDDLE SCHOOL
THEATRE DEPARTMENT
"If you wanna be a star, you've gotta have a place to shine."
1311 West Market Street
Harrisonburg, VA 22801
Phone: 540-434-1949
E-mail: mstrawderman@harrisonburg.k12.va.us
Located in Harrisonburg, VA, the Thomas Harrison Middle School Theatre Department offers a variety of theatre-related classes to 6th, 7th, & 8th graders, as well as opportunities to participate in after school productions.
We produce a number of shows over the course of the school year and hope that you will take the opportunity to look through our website to learn more about our theatre program!
ABOUT
“My goal is to shatter the perception that many people have about middle-school theatre. I have found that, if you set high expectations for middle-schoolers and give them the opportunity to participate in professional caliber shows, the sky is the limit!”
- Michael Strawderman, THMS Theatre Director
Michael Strawderman is a graduate of both Broadway High School and Virginia Commonwealth University, where he received his BFA in Theatre Education in 1990. During his 26-year tenure at THMS, he has directed and produced more than 200 shows and received many accolades, including 8 gold rankings at the Virginia Theatre Association's Young People's Theatre Festival. He was selected as Thomas Harrison Middle School's 2007 "Teacher of the Year" and was a recipient of the 2016 STAR Award for Excellence in Education. His passion for the theatre arts is not limited to THMS. He served for five years as the chairperson for the VTA Young People's Theatre Festival and designed the theatre exhibit area at the original Harrisonburg Children's Museum.
