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Week Ahead,
April 26 - May 3
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Everything's Coming Up Drama
Spring is here, and that means it’s high season for drama at the Day School.
Between March and the end of school in June, the drama department is involved in four major drama undertakings, including and culminating in the 8th Grade Play. By the time they graduate, children at the Day School will have had oodles of chances to appear in front of an audience. Nobody escapes the limelight.
“One of great things about drama at the Day School is that everybody has to perform,” says Lucinda Otto, who heads the drama department. “As a result, the kids get to a certain level of comfort, because it's required and not elective. The poise of these kids is pretty amazing — it’s nothing like a lot of places I’ve been.”
This is Lucinda’s first full year at the Day School. She joined the school in the middle of the last school year, hailing from the San Francisco Arts Education Project. She directs three plays a year and collaborates in staging another four productions, including Greek Night by the 6th grade. She also leads Upper School kids in dramatic exercises.
Here is a snapshot of spring performances:
• Macbeth Night – (March 27) The 7th grade staged a series of scenes from the Shakespearian play. All the kids were given an acting part, and the play was performed in different venues throughout the school, including the underground parking garage. The event was sponsored by the English department, with help from Drama. Read an article about the play by seventh grader Kate H.
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Pictures of the Wiley & the Hairy Man
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• 4th Grade Play – (April 22) This year the kids performed “Wiley and the Hairy Man,” a play adapted by Susan Zeder based on an old Southern folktale. “It was great,” Lucinda says. “The kids were really excited about it . . . They knew all the cues. They didn’t need adults; they had so much ownership of it. They were pretty amazing."
• Midsummer Night's Dream – (May 20) Shakespeare’s popular romantic comedy is staged by the the 6th grade English department with help from Lucinda. This year a performance of selected scenes will be put on during the school day. All the 6th graders get to perform.
• 8th Grade Play – (June 5,6) The 8th grade performs a musical every spring, just before graduation. This year’s production is “Into the Woods,” by James Lapine with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. The play takes a series sof Grimm’s fairy tales and turns them on their side. Lucinda is directing, with Karyn Silva as music director.
“It’s been nice collaborating with different teachers,” Lucinda says.
“Also, for me what's really great is to be able to have these kids once a week from sixth grade until the end of eight grade — over three years. That’s really exciting.”
In addition to the spring productions, Lucinda also directs the 2nd Grade Play in the fall. She helps with Romeo and Juliet, performed in January by the 8th grade English classes, and also with Greek Night presented by the 6th grade in November.
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