On November 5, the brand new Middle School Play Production program opened its first-ever show: Matilda The Musical Jr, based on the book by Roald Dahl. This year, as part of efforts to help the middle schoolers in Dramatiques feel more represented, Ms. Lilley started the Play Production class for middle schoolers only. In the class, they learned about the process of putting on a play and then performed an entire musical– singing, dancing, acting, and tech. I got to go on both nights, and I absolutely loved it.
Firstly, let’s talk about the actors!
Matilda featured several soloists, both in the ensemble and as lead characters. In many of the group numbers, different ensemble members (playing schoolchildren) got to sing short solos, letting the named characters have their own moments in the spotlight. This was actually one of my favorite parts of the show, seeing how each actor brought their unique characterization to their part. The standout for me was Anastasia Seivert as Lavender, giving her role more character through her expressive singing and movement.
A showstopping moment for me was sixth grader Olive Kerley’s first entrance onto the stage as Matilda, giving me flashbacks to a very similar staging in the opening scene of Beauty and the Beast last spring– it honestly made me wonder if it was intentional. In the past at Parker School, the concept of seniority in casting has been very controversial, with questions arising over whether an older student should be preferred for a part over a younger student. Olive proved all of this wrong, coming into her first year in our theatre program as the leading lady with a clear, sweet voice but a bold and confident demeanor that embodied the role perfectly.
Another highlight for me was Emmie Ebersole as the Trunchbull. She commanded both the role and the stage, her strong voice essential for the very demanding part. Her comedic delivery was also impeccable, as the Trunchbull has several absolutely ridiculous lines that, in true Roald Dahl fashion, make the show every bit more funny and slightly crazy. As an actor, it can be hard to play the villain. It takes a lot of skill to portray your character as someone for the audience to root against, but Emmie did it perfectly.
On the other side of the show, the tech crew truly made it magical. It can be easy to be swept away in the acting, but the work put in both before and during the performance is just as essential.
My favorite part of the entire show was when the Trunchbull flung a lifesize fake body into the air to represent Amanda being thrown by her pigtails. It was the funniest moment on so many levels, but it also showed the Sara-Jane-Lilley-signature silliness. This is a silly musical, and portraying ridiculous moments through even more ridiculous props was exactly what it needed
The kids up in the booth, while unseen, are the reason we were able to understand anything happening onstage. Henrik Lyke, the sound man, was tasked with the daunting job of managing over ten different microphones throughout the show. Both he and Jonah Kasameyer on lights– although I may be a little biased– did an incredible job learning complicated equipment and many stage cues in just a month and a half.
I also absolutely loved the set. The alphabet blocks during the school song were a highlight, as well as the fully-functioning seesaw that the schoolchildren got to ride on even during songs. Leading up to the show, Ms. Lilley could always be seen talking excitedly about the props– I remember a moment when she was emphatically explaining to me the purpose of the alphabet blocks and I was worried she would cry from excitement (I’m pretty sure she did).
Matilda is a show about empowering children, and the middle school brought so much life to this theme. The choreography was perfect; simple but cute. The emphasis on ensemble songs showed the cast coming together with lots of unison singing, while the solo songs brought a different sense of maturity masked in childlike innocence. This show needs a young cast to truly encapsulate the essence of youthful excitement and bravery, and in my opinion, it was a perfect fit for the first middle school production.
The way I see it, the middle schoolers here are the underdogs akin to the schoolchildren in Matilda, after spending so much time in the shadow of the high school during Dramatiques. Now that they’re given a chance to shine by themselves, it’s clear that all the middle schoolers needed was a place to thrive, lead, and bring their own magic into the theatre.
Ugh - now I'm even more mad to have missed it! It sounds like it was phenomenal, as I expected it to be. Thanks for sharing your impressions, I felt like I was there!