This article was written by Onyinyechi Gabriel, Page Harris, Ghada Moussa, and Jasmine Moussa -- members of the Colonial Heights Middle School's "Inked Thoughts" Writing Club.
Have you ever considered joining the drama club or watching their plays? The CHMS Drama Club is a place to have fun, work on plays, and talk to others. It is meant to develop children’s skills in performing and teamwork by working and talking together every Tuesday. Members of the Drama Club all work hard to perform plays such as this year's A Christmas Carol and The Evening at the Auditions. They work together as a team and have plenty of creative fun as they do. It’s an exciting and interesting club that kids of all middle school grades can join.
One of the plays that the Drama Club performed in December was a comedy version of A Christmas Carol, set in the 1980’s. It depicts Scrooge being a grinch towards the holiday, Christmas, with three ghostly visitors all occurring in a comedic way. The main character in the show is Ebenezer Scrooge, but the play’s version has its own sassy businesswoman counterpart, Elenor Scrooge. The ghosts were the “Ghosts of Christmas Future,” who was a rapper dressed in leather with gold chains. “The Ghost of Christmas Past” was a materialistic “Material Girl," wearing hot pink fur and sequins full of energy! The last ghost was the “Ghost of Christmas Present,” which was quite literally a lit-up Christmas gift with a bow to go with it! With the female cast being the most dominant feature of the play, Bob Cratchet became Barb Cratchet, who was a single mother. Many silly props and jokes were spread throughout the show.
On April 19th, 2024, the Drama Club performed a play titled Evening at the Auditions. The film’s playwright was Elizabeth Rapoza, adapted and directed by Christi Colletti and Trish Cullinane. The cast has students of all CHMS grades. For many cast members, this is their first time acting in public. The plot of the story features people from all different American backgrounds, from the sassy New York girl in pink to a cowboy from down South. These characters are auditioning for a studio in The Big Apple…New York City! It was nighttime, so there were a lot of lights needed to see the next big stars in America. In this play, Lilly, a young girl, is made fun of by other people who are auditioning. The people began to have a bit of fun by playing music and dancing around. Despite being belittled by her peers, Lily stays strong and keeps standing up for herself, even when told to quit. Most of the people auditioning are self-centered and focus on their own wants and needs. One of the workers there is Mr. Starr, with a twisted secret. MaryAnne is a young girl from North Carolina with a perky and upbeat attitude. She plays the ukulele behind her back in a crazy way!
The judges, who are all upper-class ladies, get disappointed but pretend to be stunned, and MaryAnne jogs away still proud of herself. Mr.Starr, a young man who works with the judges, admits his secret: he was an A-list celebrity. One judge, Mrs. Merril, fell head over heels for Starr when he told them why he quit. He felt that he was failing and was embarrassed that he couldn’t impress the elites. Mrs. Merrill tells the other judges about Mr. Starr, but they don’t buy in until Mr. Starr tells them himself. They both go nuts for his revival. Chloe, a New Jersey girl, performs a dance to match the cult classic “Uptown Funk'', and this is the first time the judges have enjoyed one of the performances. Later that night, Mr. Starr gives a monologue to the judges about peace and acceptance.
So, we have a drama club, but have you ever wondered about how "drama," as used to perform acting and used by actors, originated? The earliest origins of drama can be traced back to Athens, where ancient hymns were sung in honor of the god Dionysus. These hymns were later adapted for choral processions, where participants dressed up in costumes and masks. In the 6th century BC, the tyrant Pisistratus established the 'City Dionysia' festival, where the world's first actor, Thespis, astounded audiences by reciting poetry as if he were the characters. The first Greek plays featured a protagonist and chorus, but playwrights like Aeschylus and Sophocles innovated with additional roles and added elements like a prologue and deus ex machina. Deus ex machina refers to an unexpected and artificial person or thing that provides a solution to seemingly insoluble problems. Wealthy citizens sponsored plays through a tax called choreography, hoping it would lead to politics. Theaters like the Theatre of Dionysus in Athens were popular, and drama was classified into comedy, tragedy, and satyr plays. Around 440 BC, Athens constructed the first indoor theater, a square building with seating on all four walls, similar to a black box theater. Greek cities competed with theater construction during the Hellenistic period. Modern plays often focus on romance or struggles, preserving Shakespeare's timeless themes, as they are often created after writing pieces. It is fascinating to think about how far we have come from the past in the form of plays.
Today, the purpose of drama clubs is to work on plays, socialize, and have fun. Anyone can join; all they need is the ability to work hard, great effort, and the bravery required to try new things -- from in front of an audience to backstage. It is meant to showcase everyone’s strengths and help them overcome their weaknesses. CHMS has done a really great job with these as shown in their featured plays, A Christmas Carol and Evening at the Auditions. I hope you have become interested in drama clubs! Colonial Heights Middle School is looking forward to the Drama Club's new plays next year!