MEET OUR FOUNDERS
Mrs. Bannon is the founder of Carolina Forest High School Performing Arts Program.
BECKY BANNON-Founder CFHS Drama Program
Mrs. Bannon is the founder of Carolina Forest High School Performing Arts Program.
When Carolina Forest Education Center opened 17 years ago, Becky Bannon was both the middle school and high school drama teacher. Two years later, the drama program had grown so much that Wayne Canady joined the high school staff, and Becky remained at the middle school. Those of you who have seen the musicals produced by both schools for the past ten years know that "the rest is history."
Mrs. Bannon is the founding sponsor of Carolina Forest Middle, Ocean Bay Middle, Black Water Middle, and Carolina Forest High School International Thespian Society troupes. In 2011 she returned to Black Water Middle to play Miss Hannigan in their production of Annie. She presently serves on the Board of Directors of Vocal Edition, the area’s first adult singing ensemble. She also enjoys directing the Christmas pageant each year at the Church of the Resurrection in Surfside Beach.
Even as a young girl growing up in the hills of West Virginia, Mrs. Bannon loved anything to do with theater. She studied dance for ten years and vividly remembers her favorite performance being that of the Sugar Plum Fairy in “The Nutcracker.” After playing the lead in all four of her high school productions, she was awarded the International Thespian Society scholarship. She holds degrees in both English and Theater Arts from Marshall University where she was an active member of the theater department. Although she performed in some shows, she knew she had found a career when she student-directed "The Pajama Game" for her senior project.
During her first year of teaching, her high school in Mt. Clemons, Michigan had a brand new auditorium, and she was given a blank check from the school district to purchase whatever the stage needed. “Talk about a director’s dream,” she said. “The show was I Remember Mama, and we sold out all three nights. I was only three years older than most of the cast, but they knew who was boss!”
When Carolina Forest Education Center opened 17 years ago, Becky Bannon was both the middle school and high school drama teacher. Two years later, the drama program had grown so much that Wayne Canady joined the high school staff, and Becky remained at the middle school. Those of you who have seen the musicals produced by both schools for the past ten years know that "the rest is history."
Mrs. Bannon is the founding sponsor of Carolina Forest Middle, Ocean Bay Middle, Black Water Middle, and Carolina Forest High School International Thespian Society troupes. In 2011 she returned to Black Water Middle to play Miss Hannigan in their production of Annie. She presently serves on the Board of Directors of Vocal Edition, the area’s first adult singing ensemble. She also enjoys directing the Christmas pageant each year at the Church of the Resurrection in Surfside Beach.
Even as a young girl growing up in the hills of West Virginia, Mrs. Bannon loved anything to do with theater. She studied dance for ten years and vividly remembers her favorite performance being that of the Sugar Plum Fairy in “The Nutcracker.” After playing the lead in all four of her high school productions, she was awarded the International Thespian Society scholarship. She holds degrees in both English and Theater Arts from Marshall University where she was an active member of the theater department. Although she performed in some shows, she knew she had found a career when she student-directed "The Pajama Game" for her senior project.
During her first year of teaching, her high school in Mt. Clemons, Michigan had a brand new auditorium, and she was given a blank check from the school district to purchase whatever the stage needed. “Talk about a director’s dream,” she said. “The show was I Remember Mama, and we sold out all three nights. I was only three years older than most of the cast, but they knew who was boss!”
