SFS Theatre Update THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL 4TH GRADERS LEAD THE SFS COMMUNITY TO FIND THEIR YELLOW BRICK ROAD!
The WIZARD OF OZ- May 11th -3:30pm/ May 12th-3:30pm “If happy little bluebirds fly beyond the rainbow, why, oh, why, can’t I?"
This is a play that needs little to no introduction! When you hear the title Wizard of Oz, a flood of memories usually comes next. Childhood readings of L. Frank Baum’s novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, the famous film of 1939 starring the unforgettable Judy Garland, and the variety of musical theatre productions based on the story have all left an indelible mark. Witness the popularity of the movie The Wiz and the hugely popular stage show Wicked. The common denominator for all of us are memories of dreams, yellow brick roads, colorful Munchkins, glitzy Ozians, the Wicked Witch as well as the kind and fair Glinda, the inscrutable OZ and the hope of life over the rainbow. In two weeks, 80 effervescent and hard working 4th graders from the SFS Elementary School will be performing The Wizard of OZ - The Young Performer’s Edition, with music and lyrics from the MGM movie score. They will dance, sing and frolic their way into our hearts as they help each one of us find our own paths home. The 4th grade teachers and the directing team have been working diligently with the students in order to build their understanding of: (1) what it means to work as an ensemble beautiful people working together to create beautiful things; (2) how to become storytellers for their audiences; and (3) how stepping in another’s shoes leads to empathy and understanding. One of the highlights of the students’ experiences was when they had a chance to meet the cast of the recent high school
APAC THEATRE February 22 to 26 saw the Asia Division schools of APAC Theatre winging their way to Vietnam where the festival was being hosted by the United Nations International School of Hanoi. Seoul Foreign School, Brent International School, Western Academy of Japan, Shanghai American School Puxi and American International School of Guangzhou all converged on UNIS’ campus for 3 days of workshops and performances. The workshops and performances all revolved around the theme “To thine own self be true.” Each school prepared a 10-minute performance to bring to the festival that showed their interpretation of what that theme meant to them. These were performed on the first day in front of the UNIS HS and MS students which made for a great audience and a fun way to showcase
musical The Addam’s Family. The 4th graders asked questions about how to handle nervousness on stage, how to improvise when something goes wrong, and how to stay in character. The high school students were very impressed by their interest and maturity. The 4th graders even got autographs from the high school actors. The children have thrown themselves into the process as they have learned their songs in choir class with Mrs. Esther Jun, worked on their solos with Mr. JB Yoon, learned their dances with Ms. Menya Jefferson and rehearsed their acting with Mrs. Edie Moon. It is a joy and a privilege to work with such capable, creative and energetic children. Supported by the 4th grade team of teachers (Mr. Brad Thies, Mrs. Kris Daly, Mrs. Leila Webb, and Mrs. Colleen Hoskin) as well as many, many parents and SFS Drama Mamas, the students are building their skills and confidence on stage and off. 4th grade moms have been coming in every day for several weeks to work on building, decorating, collecting props and sewing costumes. We are truly grateful to everyone for their support of this experience. The result of a community that comes together in support of the arts in this way will be a wonderful theatre experience to which you are ALL invited. --Edie Moon - Director
each school’s efforts. The guest leader of the festival was Barbara Pitts McAdams, a member of Tectonic, who is an actor (on stage and in film), author and teacher of “Moment Work,” a devising process for theater. The ensuing workshops were used to develop theatrical performances that focused on some of the stories gathered by the students which reflected the theme of the festival. With the help of Phil Ridley, a director at American School of Dubai, and Kimberley Shaw, an experienced teacher and director from Australia, the 60 students were put into groups of 20 to portray new ways of interpreting the theme. Prior to coming to the festival, students were asked to interview parents, grandparents or friends about life experiences that reflected this theme. From these stories, the three groups each picked one that they wanted to tell by incorporating various theatrical forms. Using the “Moment Work” devising process helped them organize and portray their stories in a coherent and dramatic fashion. The final performances, which touched on issues of social injustice and taking a stand, engaged the hearts of both the actors and the audience. We left UNIS and Vietnam having learned much about how to devise theater, how to work as a team to bring ideas into a theatrical form and then to cooperatively present the finished product in a meaningful way that engages the audience. APAC Theatre 2017 will be a vibrant memory for SFS and all those that attended.
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