Earlier this year, 24 intrepid fourth graders signed up for a theatrical adventure. From spring break on, they would devote two days a week, countless hours at home, and even a few recess periods to rehearsals, memorizing lines, stage blocking, set building and painting, and lighting, sound, and costume design for the fourth-grade production of The Land of the Jesters.
Under the direction of Lower & Middle School Drama Teacher Debra Mein, students participated in theatrical skill building for this adapted musical production. « I heavily adapted this play from a children’s theater textbook by Pamela Prince Walker. She wrote it for elementary school programs in the 1950s, so I added more characters and music to make it a musical. It’s centered around empathy, inclusion, and accepting differences in others, » Mein said.
The story goes like this: There once was an elf with a tail. Everyone in Elf’s town laughed at her tail, so she ran away to the Land of Jesters, thinking she would be more accepted there. Queen Snooty lords over the Land of Jesters; the rule is that you have to laugh when the Queen laughs. Of course, when the Queen finds Elf’s tail funny, that doesn’t feel so good for Elf. So Elf cuts off her tail (don’t worry; it can grow back.) She then decides to pin the tail on the Queen, and when everyone laughs at the Queen, she and Elf find themselves in a moment of reckoning. One is receiving self-acceptance, and the other is understanding empathy.
For the students, the show was a mix of familiar tunes and storylines shaped into a new form altogether. Brooklyn M. ’32, who played the Butcher, had no prior theater experience and enjoyed working together with her classmates. She said, « I chose to do this because fourth grade felt like the right time. I would do it again! »
Priyanka G. ’32 played Princess Prissy. « I liked working together to make a really good play. As Princess Prissy, I liked acting really sassy, and it was fun. I found it hard to memorize my lines, but I managed to do it, so I’m happy. I feel really proud of overcoming my stage fright and managing to do it, » she said.
Elliot B. ’32 played the Baker and said, « What I liked the most was the acting and singing. I’ve done school plays before at my other school. I enjoyed the big part of the Baker. I feel most proud of getting the solo in Two Plus Two Equals Five, I’d like to do bigger stuff with theater in the future. »
With the help of a student director and production manager, the production became an incubator for student leadership to shine and for the rising tide of older students at the helm to lift all boats. Mein tapped Tess Thompson ’28 to serve as the student director. « I saw Tess’s work in the seventh and eighth-grade play and the Little Mermaid Jr. musical during Winter Term, so with that and her background in leading a summer drama camp, she was a natural fit for this role. She’s easygoing and playful, and the kids respond well to her. »
Thompson shared, « I love helping and interacting with younger students. I really enjoyed how much the kids loved playing games. They also liked it when I took them aside to work on the speech and presentation. Something really challenging was how the kids did not stop talking when I was put in charge. Based on past experiences, I found (sadly) that raising my voice was one of the solutions. I want to be a movie director in the future, so this experience really helped me prepare for it. Overall, I not only gained community service time, but I also had a warm feeling in my heart when the kids said goodbye for the final time. »
Mein also capitalized on the theater tech skills of sixth grader Elika Coff ’30. « I worked with Elika in the fifth and sixth-grade drama club, where she demonstrated a lot of interest in theater tech, so I put her on lights for the seventh and eighth-grade play. Then, when the fourth-grade production came around, having her on the team made sense. She’s passionate and confident in this area. Students need to see other students, even older students, in leadership positions and in charge of decision-making. Kids will perform differently with older peers, which empowers students to challenge themselves. »
With Coff mentoring James M. ’32, Lucas L. ’32, and Dominic M. ’32 on lights and sound, she offered gentle guidance, allowing them to make mistakes to learn. « During the evening performance, there was a miscue in the music, and part of the process is letting the students learn and problem-solve on the spot. Theater tech people have a calm presence and seem to love riding the wave of chaos, » said Mein. « Elika managed the creative ventures of the sound and lighting team, and, among other things, they came up with live music sound cues for the play. It was beautiful and surprising. »
Coff said, « I really enjoyed teaching the fourth-grade boys how to use the tech and help find costumes. My biggest takeaway was that teaching can be hard, but if you get a handle on it, it is very fun. »
Brandon D. ’32 drove the overall costume design theme. Many costumes were pulled from our costume shop, and some designs had to be purchased and augmented to meet budget and timeframe requirements. « His choice to have Princess Punky wearing black worked out great as we just so happened to have a black leather jacket in the costume shop, » said Mein. Brandon said, « I was excited about being a techie and enjoyed the costumes and helping the sound and lights team. I’ve never done that before. It was challenging to be quiet in the booth. »
In the end, the students held a lot of pride in a job well done, as did Mein. « They were spot on with memorizing early on. I made sure there was a role for everyone and had to expand the script a little to accommodate everyone interested in stage performances, » she said.
The production was well received by parents, and many were happily surprised by the amount of acting confidence on stage. A few parents commented that their children took it seriously and discovered something new about themselves.
Mein added, « I love to empower students where their interests lie, create roles perfect for them, and figure out a way to help them succeed. It’s so fun to do an adapted show because we can change the script to their talents and needs. »
On the last day of school, students will perform for their peers at a Lower School assembly and will be prepped for a potentially different audience reaction! Bravo/Brava, Rams!
Check out the full The Land of the Jesters program here.