Lights! Camera! Aladdin!

Students in fifth and sixth grade drama have been learning about the essential elements of drama this term. As a group, they decided to adapt the original story of Aladdin from China into a play complete with narration, dance numbers, and songs. The term will culminate in a performance for classmates and families in Harris Theater.

Directed and coached by Music Teacher Alison Manion, fifth and sixth grade drama had fourteen students this term. They met during afternoon athletics five days a week to write and stage their production. Students learned about and experienced the audition process. They also learned stage directions, read from a script, worked on creating new dialogues, and practiced acting skills and vocal warm-ups to learn how to enunciate clearly. Students were thoughtful about character development, selected props to help them tell their story, and made decisions about how to portray their characters, including costume choices, physical movements, and facial expressions. While the students gained experience with acting skills, they also learned a variety of stagecraft, taking on roles such as student stage directors, sound technicians, and program and t-shirt artwork designers.

The production was a compilation of students' ideas and focused on presenting a play that included all aspects of the essential elements of drama. This week, students will perform for the Lower School community and their families, sharing their adaptations of well-known songs, the Aladdin story, and everything they have learned in drama this term.