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| Windham Middle School students rehearse for the upcoming production of 'Singin' In The Rain Jr.' which will be presented online on Saturday, March 13, Friday, March 19 and Saturday, March 20. SUBMITTED PHOTO |
Live performances have been on hold for more than a year due to the pandemic, but the Windham Middle School drama program didn’t let that stop them. Instead of live performances, the group created a movie of Singin’ In The Rain Jr., which will be available to watch online.
“We
were faced with the option of either doing nothing at all or finding a new way
to look at it,” said Suzy Cropper, drama director for Windham Middle School. “I
know these drama kids love the theater and love to participate and create just
like I do, so we started thinking outside the box.”
School administrators welcome the production.
“It’s
important to offer students as many opportunities for creative outlets and
challenge as we can,” said Kim McBride, assistant principal at WMS. “Students
learn and grow from any opportunity to work toward a goal with other students,”
she said, adding that drama offers some specific skills and benefits, including
building self-confidence, developing empathy and tolerance for others,
nurturing imagination, patience, focus and concentration, and appreciation for
arts and culture.”
Cropper
said she sees the struggle for students unable to participate in what they
typically love.
“It’s
been good to connect the students in this way. It’s not quite the same as being
live and in the space together, but it does help,” she said.
Eighth-grader
Molly Plati, who plays Kathy Selden in the show, said “It was really important
to me because it’s my eighth-grade year.”
While things will be quite different, she said “I still get to be in a
production.”
Lydia
Marden, an eighth grader who plays Lina Lamont, said that although this isn’t
the way they thought about having their final middle school production, “we’re
still going to celebrate it. It is a lot different, but at least it’s better
than nothing.”
Marden
said that a lot of people who participated last year didn’t this year because
they were worried about how it would go.
After participating, she said “of course it’s different, but it feels
just the same.” Her advice to others, she said, is that if an opportunity like
this comes up, take it.
“It
certainly is a different experience from the one they would otherwise have had,
but we’re very grateful that Suzy was flexible and nimble and creative enough
to make this happen, McBride said.
Cropper
said the cast will have a chance to come together as a group, using appropriate
safety protocols, to watch the final movie before it is available to the
public. “Many of them have only seen the
parts they do, so it’s going to be a surprise to everybody. It’s pretty
exciting,” she said.
Putting
on a production this way wasn’t without challenges. Marden said her biggest challenge was
learning how to use the green screen.
“Everyone had to put up their own, and half the time they didn’t really
work,” she said.
For
Plati, the biggest challenge was having to perform alone. “When I act, I really like to have laughter
and audience reaction,” she said. “I had no one to feed off of. I was home
alone.”
The
students said there were also some positive aspects to working this way. “When I was recording my songs, I got to
record with a headset and microphone,” Plati said. “I felt like I was recording
it professionally.”
Marden
said, “You have unlimited tries until you feel like it’s good. It took a lot of
the stress part away.”
Cropper
said she even had students who told her that the only reason they participated
this year is because they weren’t live on stage. “I’m glad we’ve been able to provide that which
they wouldn’t necessarily have experienced before.”
Cropper
said there was less to practice, but a lot to learn, when working this
way. Students were working with very few
props and had to master the music and dances on their own.
“I’ve
definitely learned that over a screen you have to be a lot bigger than when you
are on a stage,” Plati said. When in a
tiny box with an ensemble, she said, “You have to be really big if you want to
be noticed, if you want to catch the audience’s eye.”
Marden
said because her character didn’t talk in the beginning of the show, she had to
use other tactics to show the audience she was there and interacting with
people around her.
Ensemble
members noticed that they can’t stay hidden, Cropper said. In this format, every expression is seen, even
in those without speaking roles. “Just
being aware of themselves in such an acute way has been a bit eye opening for
most of our performers,” Cropper said.
Along
with Cropper, music director Diane Hancock, and choreographer April Monte, a
small group of high school students were a valuable part of the process. Al Potter edited the production, taking all
of the footage and putting it into one cohesive product, Cropper said. “I’m so
grateful that I don’t have to do that all by myself,” she said. Maddie Hancock
was the assistant music director, and Amy Cropper served as assistant director.
Singin’
In The Rain Jr. will be streaming online on Saturday, March 13 at 2 and 7 p.m.;
Friday March 19 at 7 p.m., and Saturday March 20 at 2 and 7 p.m. Tickets may be
purchased for a specific performance time at https://www.showtix4u.com/event-details/47061.
Ticket prices are $10 for a single viewer, $20 for a household ticket,
and $30 for platinum contributors. <
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