Photo courtesy of Jane Ganey
Jane Ganey joined the Spartan Theatre program in 2021 after 14 years at Thompson High School.
As the director of Mountain Brook High School’s theater department, Jane Ganey has overseen imagination, innovation and burgeoning talent at the Spartan Theatre.
The 2024-25 season offers an array of plays, musicals and festivals, but the biggest draw are the talented students that make up the Spartan Theatre.
Ganey began teaching theater at MBHS in 2021 after 14 years at Thompson High School. A graduate of Troy University, she earned a bachelor’s in communication arts with a dramatic track.
“The main goal of any theater department is to provide opportunities for students to participate in a student-driven program both on stage and off stage,” Ganey said. “This allows students to develop a wide range of skills, foster creativity, build confidence and create a sense of community.”
The program at the Spartan Theatre is unique, Ganey said, and participating students have come “from all walks of life.”
“The department has had athletes, SGA students, honor students, Dorians, band members, choir students and even staff perform to sold-out audiences,” she said.
Every performance is a collaboration, and sold-out shows begin with both curiosity and commitment from students.
“Through performances and behind-the-scenes work, students not only hone their artistic talents but also cultivate a sense of community and belonging,” Ganey said. “The impact of theater extends beyond the stage, empowering students to embrace their individuality and pursue their passions with enthusiasm and dedication.”
Joining the Spartan Theatre, Ganey is able to reap the benefits of a “pivotal moment for Alabama's performing arts education scene,” since the MBHS theater program introduced a black box theater in 2008, becoming the first high school in the state to do so.
Black box theaters are intentionally simple spaces that can be used in a variety of ways, depending on the needs of the performance. The MBHS black box theater seats 160 people.
According to Ganey, the addition of the black box theater has only increased the program’s potential, along with setting a new standard for performing arts programs. “It not only provides students with a unique and immersive performing arts experience,” Ganey said, “but also serves as a catalyst for fostering creativity within the performing arts.”
Participating in the theater program teaches students valuable life skills as they work on stage or backstage, Ganey said.
“The theater program at Mountain Brook High School provides students with a platform to express themselves, collaborate with peers and develop essential skills such as public speaking, teamwork and problem-solving,” she said.
Undeniable acting talent has been the result of the excellent education that MBHS offers. Although she was not in the theater department, “Friends” actress Courteney Cox graduated in 1982, and graduate Phillip Mann is now the executive director of the Virginia Samford Theatre.
Ganey is also proud of more recent Spartan Theatre alums like Anna Bella Foster, who is pursuing acting at the prestigious Tisch School of the Arts at New York University.
“To this day, the talent of all the students that walk the halls of Mountain Brook is top-notch,” Ganey said. “We would love to welcome all students to be a part of performances like so many of their families and friends have done in the past.”
