WMS Drama Club presents ‘Disney’s Frozen Jr.'

Windham Middle School Drama Club, under the direction of
Suzy Cropper, will stage 'Disney's Frozen Jr.' at the Windham
Performing Arts Center this weekend and next. Tickets will
be available at the door. PHOTO BY COLLETTE HAYES  

By Collette Hayes

Windham Middle School Drama Club is proud to present “Disney’s Frozen Jr.,” a production that promises to thaw the coldest of hearts.

Princesses Elsa, Anna, and the magical land of Arendelle will come to life, onstage at the Windham Performing Arts Center on Jan. 14, 15, 21, and 22. “Frozen Jr”. is based on the 2018 Broadway musical production and features the unforgettable songs from the animated Disney film, Frozen. A story of true love and acceptance between sisters, the production will definitely be a night of enchantment and wintery adventure for those attending.

Suzy Cropper, Windham Middle School’s Drama club director, chooses and casts the plays for the drama club months in advance. Following COVID guidelines and the unpredictability of the pandemic, this year’s entire cast for the performance of “Disney’s Frozen Jr.” is double cast in the event a student cannot attend the night of the performance. Cropper’s rehearsals are well scheduled and planned and through the extensive use of technology, accommodate for those students who cannot attend practices due to the ongoing challenges of COVID-19.

Cropper is a master at what she does. She has been extensively involved in musical theater for the last 30 years and for the last three years has shared her skill and talent as Windham Middle School’s Drama Club director. 

After closing the doors in 2019 to her musical theater training studio, Main Stage Academy, Cropper was hired as the Windham Middle School Drama Club director where she had been serving as the music director for the drama club for eight years.

She brings extensive background in musical theater to her position as drama club director. She was a music, dance and theater major and received her bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts from Brigham Young University. While attending BYU, Cropper was a member of the prestigious Young Ambassadors song and dance team performing contemporary music and dance for a fast-paced showcase of American musical theatre. Performing in 67 nations of the world, the Young Ambassadors audiences have included the prime minister of India, queen of Thailand, and the king and queen of Jordan.

Windham Middle School Drama Club is one of the few places that real world life skills such as communication, self-confidence, self-evaluation and creative thinking are still taught.

According to Cropper, students have the opportunity to interact with each other and learn to express themselves using these valuable life skills on stage and in real world settings.

For many middle school students, social life proves to be a challenge. Students begin to form cliques and many students lack a sense of acceptance and association.

“Drama club students are encouraged to explore and identify what their gifts and abilities are,” Cropper said. “They come to know who they are and why they are important. They develop a sense of belonging.”

Cropper says that she would like to thank the many parents and Windham high school student volunteers that are making this year’s production a success. Parents and high school students are volunteering their time in all areas of the production from sewing costumes to helping students memorize their lines.

“There is a sense of community and kindness being shown by the volunteers,” Cropper said. “Parents are spending so many hours trying to make something great happen so their kids have something they can be proud of. The students have to be in masks through the entire performance creating a significant challenge for students trying to project their voices and articulate their words.

“Lucy Hatch, a Windham High School senior and my assistant producer, has been instrumental in helping to create exercises to help students learn to project their voice through a mask,” Cropper said. “Also, we have high school students volunteering on the tech crew and helping parents to sew costumes. We truly couldn’t make this production happen without their help.”

Performances of “Disney’s Frozen Jr” will be at the Windham Performing Arts Center located at Windham High School on Route 202 in Windham. There are two matinees scheduled at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 15 and Saturday, Jan. 22. Weekday performances are at 7 p.m. Tickets are $12 and can be purchased at the door. <