Middle School’s "Frozen Jr."—a Tour de Force
One week after winter break, friends and family gathered in the Lower School gym to watch Middle School students perform Frozen Jr. The sold-out production, which enthralled the audience, was all the more incredible because students had put it together in just one week of intense work, dubbed “Theatre Week.” Principal Sam Dry explains, “Theatre Week is in part to educate the whole child. We like to create opportunities for children to shine in theatre, music, and art.”
The young thespians worked tirelessly to learn their lines, songs, blocking, and choreography, and their dedication clearly paid off as audience members cheered and applauded throughout the show. Eighth grader Ellie, who played Anna, says her favorite part was “learning all of the dances with all of my peers.”
Just as awe-inspiring was the backstage work students put into the production. Dry adds that “Theatre Week is probably our most authentic opportunity to develop future-ready skills”—especially teamwork. After the production, sixth grader and costume crew member Rehema expressed her appreciation for seeing how all of the individual pieces came together to form a show. As she put it, “It’s helpful to be a little piece in a big machine because each piece has a big job—no matter how small, no matter how big.”
The set-building and backstage crew got the stage ready in time for rehearsals, even though it included building a large stage extension. Meanwhile, the painting crew worked on the massive backdrop and the moving boards that converted inside to outside within a scene. Mark, a seventh grader on the painting crew, comments, “We constantly had something to do. If our legs hurt from standing and painting all day, you knew you had to just keep working on it.” He added that the effort required for Theatre Week taught him about the work ethic he needs to bring into everyday life.
After getting the whole cast miked and ready, the tech crew worked carefully to set the tone of the show with lights that turned blue for an icy feeling or yellow for summer scenes, all while keeping the sound on track. And one seventh grader, Annika, worked alongside an in-house expert to program sound for all 69 scenes in just one day! The costume crew lent a crucial hand to creating the right setting. With multiple costume changes to account for, the crew members scavenged for each item, sewing chorus outfits and organizing everything so that cast members could change quickly and easily, sometimes in a matter of seconds. All of the students’ work depended on the last crew: marketing. This crew placed student-created posters around campus and made sure the community knew how to buy tickets. The marketing crew also filled the hallway to the Lower School gym with handmade snowflakes for ambiance.
Whether on stage or not during the final performance, all the students dedicated long days filled with hard work to getting Frozen Jr. ready for the stage. Collaboration is a core value in the Middle School, and Theatre Week demonstrated, in real time, what authentic collaboration looks like. Dry notes that her favorite part of Theatre Week each year is “seeing the children so invested, engaged, and self-motivated—taking so much responsibility.” The students certainly rose to the occasion, leaving the audience wowed in their wake.
Since Theatre Week, students have been transferring the lessons they learned to their classes. For example, Ellie says she’s bringing “persistence and not giving up on tasks” to her schoolwork. Students are also requesting to work with those they don’t usually work with, and they’re recognizing how a team can accomplish more together than individuals can separately—as long as each individual gets his or her job done.
Principia students are constantly learning what they are capable of, and Theatre Week magnifies the opportunity to do just that.
Enjoy the Theatre Week slideshow below.