Congratulations to Grade 3 on their performance of Papagayo, a play adapted from the book by Gerald McDermott. Students in the Lower School partake in theater class three times per week, over the course of a trimester. Theater Director, Sara Katzoff, engages the students in the creative process by including them in the creation of the script, the costume design, and all aspects of production. These student have much to be proud of! More pictures can be found here.
The upper school students are in the last stages of preparing for the performance of their original production. OffMap is an exciting interdisciplinary performance project created and devised by the Upper School Theater ensemble in collaboration with participants in two arts block courses led by Mrs. Hilliard and Ms. Katzoff. This winter, student musicians, actors, writers and composers have been focused on the process of generating original material as part of a large ensemble. The culminating workshop production of OffMap showcases the fruits of this collaboration in the form of a short performance that explores the world of Imperos, a society in which each citizen is implanted with a meticulously predetermined fate known as a LifeMap.
In Imperos, Maizy is an ordinary teenager leading an ordinary life. She goes to school, follows her LifeMap and like all citizens, never questions why. But in a moment of uncertainty, Maizy deviates from her map in order to save someone from danger. A deviation of this nature has never occurred and Maizy’s actions cause the entire foundation of the LifeMap system to be put into question. As a result of her deviation, Maizy enters Aerros, an uncharted world that exists somewhere between life and death. The play alternates between this off map world and the Dispatch Center (a cross between a hospital and a train station) where Maizy’s family, caregivers and the all-knowing Topographer have gathered in an attempt to guide her fate.
As a continuation of the development process and putting a new work in front of an audience for the first time, the post-show discussion will be an opportunity for the creative team/ensemble to ask the audience some questions: What made you curious? Which characters did you want to know more about? What images or moments resonated with you? Was there anything that was unclear or that you have questions about? After that, the audience will also be able to ask their own questions to the actors, composers and writers.
We look forward to Opening Night!
