Seventh and 8th grade students at MICDS have the opportunity each year to participate in a live spring production, which usually alternates between being a comedy and a drama. It’s always a wonderful experience as students who aren’t necessarily friends at the beginning work together and grow closer during the production.
What happens when a pandemic precludes a traditional production? Must the lights dim on the stage at MICDS? Never, say Charlotte Dougherty, 7th Grade Dean and Drama Teacher, and Tim Storey, 8th Grade Dean and Drama Teacher. The two put their heads together and, as usual, put the students first. “It’s always about the process,” said Dougherty.
They began by creating space for 7th and 8th grade students to gather three times a week after school. Students shared their unique experiences and perspectives with each other and collaborated to create their own production, not for the stage but in front of the camera. They acted, recorded, and even edited a variety of pieces to make In the Middle of a Pandemic, a short film. “The whole thing was a group effort with students doing the bulk of the work,” said Storey. “Even some of the individual scenes were edited by students.”
Dougherty is proud of what the students were able to accomplish despite the pandemic limitations, and she’s encouraged by how their experiences inspired their work. She said, “This year offered the students the opportunity to look at how art survives and offers voice in a time of turmoil. They were creative, innovative, clever, and very patient during the process.” Dougherty and Storey continued to emphasize to the students that theater is a process, much like life. “Art finds a way,” Dougherty said, “and so did they.”
Please enjoy this incredible production, In the Middle of a Pandemic, courtesy of a talented and dedicated group of 7th and 8th grade students. Dougherty said, “It is messy, silly, serious, sad, and scary, and we love it.” We hope you do, too.
Congratulations to these 7th and 8th grade students on a wonderful production:
- Aiyla Ahmad ’26
- Hadley Altvater ’25
- Natalie Benoist ’25
- Ellie Chen ’26
- Harper Clark ’26
- Maggie Cordes ’25
- Noemi Crall ’26
- Steele Crissman ’26
- Megan David ’25
- Abby Derdeyn ’25
- Shritha Devisetty ’26
- Tyler Enyard ’25
- Sanjana Gandhi ’25
- Reagan Hamilton ’25
- Alyssa Harris ’25
- Aniket Joshi ’25
- Zach Krivonak ’25
- Grant LaMartina ’25
- Lexie Ludwig ’26
- Meredith Mack ’26
- Audrey Marino ’26
- Zariyah Nance-Leach ’25
- Laurion Nicholson ’26
- Lilly Oliver ’26
- Lilia Oulamine ’26
- Shil Penilla ’26
- Carli Salazar Estrada ’25
- Nina Schuerer ’25
- Mia Sondrol ’25
- Adithi Srinivasan ’25
- CJ Strong ’25
- Samantha Sullivan ’25
- Max Thomas ’25
- Joe Walsh ’25
- Revathi Warrier ’25
- Norah Wright ’25