by Rachel Mazor
The Meeting House was filled with mischievous fairies, scheming brothers, tender young lovers, and the Machiavellian magician who brings them all together when the middle school presented its production of William Shakespeare’s The Tempest on May 8 and 9. More than 20 students in grades six, seven, and eight came together under the direction of Erin Kaplan to present the tragicomic romance, Shakespeare’s last play, to a rapt audience of families, friends, and teachers.
As Prospero, the former duke of Milan who practices sorcery on his enchanted island, seventh grader Oliver L. had long passages of dense text to memorize. A seasoned Shakespearean actor, Oliver credited hard work and frequent rehearsals with his success in tackling Prospero’s many monologues.
Sixth grader Jo C. growled her lines as she matched wits with Oliver in her role as his nemesis, the monstrous Caliban. Her scenes with eighth graders Rukiya C. and Olabanji S., who played two bumbling fools stranded on the island, earned the biggest laughs of the show.
Eighth grader Jason B.and sixth grader Jumoke M. brought dignity to their roles as the marooned king and his faithful servant, whose lives are threatened by the evil Antonio and Sebastian, played by sixth graders Rachel H. and Hannah H. While much of the play concerns Prospero's efforts to thwart mutinous plots and avenge his banishment from Milan, some of the most charming scenes featured sixth graders Giovanna M. and Jacob S. as Miranda and Ferdinand, the star-crossed lovers who strive to earn Prospero's blessing on their marriage.
In Shakespeare's original play, Prospero’s servant Ariel is written as a role for one actor. In an innovative twist, the BFS version featured three different actors sharing the role of the dutiful fairy. Eighth grader Amara G., seventh grader Lizzy M., and sixth grader Louisa G. represented different aspects of Ariel's personality, sometimes splitting lines and sometimes reciting them in unison. The three actors worked closely to coordinate their speech and movements; augmented by fanciful make up designed by upper school student Sophia L., the multi-faceted portrayal of Ariel was a highlight of the production.
Great supporting performances were provided by sixth graders Audrey M. as the beleaguered boatswain, Hallie W., Cat O., and Bronwyn E.s as goddesses, and fairies Sarah C., Lily C., Lia E., Maya K., and Rachel T.
Technical director Catherine Clark guided her crew of middle- and upper-school students, including Abraham A. and Rosie M. behind the scenes to create sound and lighting effects that further enhanced the production. While some younger members of the audience may have found the play to be a bit difficult to understand, everyone, young and old, was impressed with the effort put in by these talented performers.
The Tempest provided our intrepid middle school students the chance to show that they could embrace Shakespearean literature with the same enthusiasm they show for the works of modern writers. Anyone watching the talent and energy on display would be moved to echo Miranda’s words: “How many goodly creatures are there here!...O, brave new world / That has such people in ‘t!”