A JOURNEY AND A HOMECOMING

AFTER A PERILOUS JOURNEY, long-suffering Odysseus found his way home. Dropped unceremoniously in Munchkinland, Dorothy, too, traveled—or rather “eased on down”—the Yellow Brick Road and learned there’s no place like home. With this fall’s productions of The Odyssey at the High School and The Wiz at the Middle School, GDS theater enjoyed its own homecoming after a few difficult years due to COVID-19 restrictions.

The High School fall show made a return to the Blackbox Theater, showcasing the talents of sets, props, makeup, and costumes teams; technical theater, music, and management teams; and the actors, many of whom played multiple roles. Though not wounded in Trojan battle, an injury kept theater woman-at-arms and technical director, Christal Boyd, on the sidelines. New but familiar alumni players Becca Balton ’10 and Jake Korde ’22 stepped in to support the technical crews.

Actors splashed from Calypso’s island to Ithaka, past perils at Polyphemus’s and Circe’s hands, and even down into the underworld. Backstage was just as busy as crews helped actors make rapid, complex costume changes. Mary Zimmerman’s The Odyssey left room for humor—Athena (Morgana Brand ’24) was particularly witty—even as Penelope’s suitors were murderous and, later, murdered. Avram Shapiro ’24, who was painfully good as the sometimes self-pitying Odysseus, said, “Where shall a man find sweetness to surpass his own home and his parents? …I shall not see on earth a place more dear.” Being back home in a full GDS theater was indeed wonderful.

Returning after three years, the Middle School Musical The Wiz was a delightful, brightly colored show—the first ever in our new LMS Flexible Performing Arts Space. There were company dance numbers, heart-melting solos, and joke after joke. A large storybook set piece, made by students, carried the audience to Emerald City or Munchkinland, and ultimately home. “Home is a place we all must find, child,” said Glinda (Natalie Ogden ’27). “It’s not just a place where you eat or sleep. Home is knowing. Knowing your mind, knowing your heart, knowing your courage. If we know ourselves, we’re always home, anywhere.”

As more than 300 audience members laughed and applauded the fantastic show, it was clear the magic of Middle School theater was back.

GDS THEATER LAB: INCLUSIVITY IN THEATER

At the end of the 202122 school year, the High School Performing Arts Department announced the creation of its second stage, the GDS Theater Lab. The Lab builds on GDS’s commitment to embrace diverse stories and bring new “ideas, perspectives, and points of view” to the stage, said Maria Watson, the Lab’s founding director.

The Lab opened in June 2022 with a limited run

Man’s Journey Through teacher, Jim Mahady (pictured). In Fall 2022, the Lab featured a production of Stephen Karam’s Speech & Debate, starring Aymaan Enayetullah ’25, Henry Cohen ’25, and Olivia Brown ’24.

“The Theater Lab allows for a more intimate performing arts experience,” Aymaan said. “It was a great opportunity to be a part of a smaller cast and an emotionally deeper play.”