ParentU: Bestselling Author, Dr. Leonard Sax at Northridge on March 14 at 7PM - Learn More
Led by Drama Department Chair, Mr. Joe Lechner, Northridge puts on two full-scale productions each year - one musical and one dramatic play.
A creative collaboration, students from every grade participate in all aspects of production. Some choose to act on stage, others behind the scenes on stage crew or handling the lights and sound. Students are supported by faculty, parents, and the entire Northridge community in every theatrical endeavor!
Recent productions include Arsenic and Old Lace, Newsies, Guys & Dolls, The Pirates of Penzance, and 1776, to name a few.
Scroll down to see some photos!
Click on the links above to view photos from our most recent productions!
Mr. Joseph Lechner
Drama Department Chair
B.S. Illinois State University; M.A.T. University of Chicago
Year Appointed: 1982
As a high school student at Maine North, Mr. Lechner was both captain of the gymnastics team and co-founder of the school’s drama club. While in college, he was elected a member of the student assembly and performed as an acrobat in a fraternity circus that raised money for charitable purposes. After earning his Master of Arts in Teaching in Social Sciences and History at the University of Chicago in 1979, Joe taught for three years at Palatine High School, where he founded the Advanced Placement course in History and served as the technical director for ten major school dramatic productions. Joe joined the Northridge faculty in 1982 and is a member of both the national and state Associations for Teachers of Social Science. Mr. Lechner and his wife, Diane, have seven children and two grandchildren and live in Deerfield.
Mr. Colman Rowan
Drama Department Director
B.S. Hillsdale College
Year Appointed: 2025
Colman grew up in Washington, DC and earned his B.A. in English with a minor in Journalism from Hillsdale College. At Hillsdale, he was an editor for the student newspaper, worked in the President's office, and sang in several a cappella groups. He also has extensive drama experience from high school and worked in youth programs over summers, where he discovered his aptitude for teaching. At Hillsdale, he became close friends with Northridge alumni, including shared backpacking trips in Wyoming. At Northridge, in addition to his role as Director in the Drama Department, Colman teaches English, History, Art & Music, and Rhetoric in Middle School. He lives in the area with his wife, Willows alumna, Lucy (née Potter).