Horace Mann - Spring 2017 - 25

photo by Bruce Fuller

News of the School

Horace Mann School's production of A Midsummer Night's Dream involved students in HM's Kindergarten through grade 12.

Dahl, who managed to integrate a huge cast of students ranging in age
from 5 through 18 into an adaptation able to accommodate numerous
actors often alternating through a single role, while never missing a beat
of the play's lively rhythm. Highlighted as well was the inventive set by
student designer Nora Nickerson '18 who reimagined the sylvan splendor usually associated with "Midsummer's" scenery into a startling "what
if" scenario of a forest devastated by polluters. Nickerson's set challenged costume designers Wendy Phillips and Stewart Lee to creatively
weave recycled materials through the production's wardrobe. Together,
the set and costume design brought to the play an added message of environmental awareness. Faculty Technical Director Joel Sherry's Theater
Design and Production class (B), responsible for designing the lighting,
accomplished this with whimsy, majesty and mystery.
The production clearly inspired its performers. Save for "Midsummer's"
main roles portrayed by UD students-mostly HM Theatre Club (HMTC)
acting "regulars" who auditioned for such iconic parts as Oberon,
Helena and Hermia-the large cast was comprised of student members
of the classes taught by the 20-some teachers in HM's RSC teaching
core. Some of the students acknowledged appearing in the play only because they were part of one of those classes. However, most were excited
about participating in the production, and even expressed their interest in
auditioning for future HMTC shows, after being touched by the acting bug.
Above all, A Midsummer Night's Dream tapped into the spirit and
enthusiasm of the HM community, for it required a near Stratford-onAvon-sized village to turn Dahl's and HM-RSC Program Director Dr.
Adam Casdin's vision of an all-school production into reality. From the
teachers, to the actors, to the parents who stitched costumes and drove
their children to rehearsals, to the dedicated UD students who volunteered to entertain the youngest cast members off stage, and shepherd
them from rehearsal room to theater when it was time for their parts,
this collective effort was essential to the show's success. And, that's not
counting the flexibility necessitated by a snow day that threatened to
cancel one of the long-anticipated performances.
"Parents, teachers, and students were bowled over by the performance. Kindergarteners are still asking to work on the play even after
the production," reported Dr. Casdin, who is also a UD English teacher.
"When we were short (of student performers whose appearances were
rescheduled because of a snow day on February 10, 2017) 15 first graders

and their parents agreed to be in a second performance on Saturday
night. Most importantly, my students said the work gave them the deepest
understanding yet of characterization and close reading of Shakespeare."
A production fulfilling its purpose
Associate Practitioner and Director for RSC Education Chris White, a
noted actor, director and playwright, has been working with HM students and teachers since the HM-RSC partnership began over two years
ago. In residence at HM for the production's final rehearsals and performances-except for the last two acts of the Saturday night presentation,
when he had to catch a flight back to England-White was elated to see
the intense work of both students and teachers come to fruition. The
production also assured him that HM's students are grasping the intention of the kind of teaching the school is pursuing with the RSC.
"The play was an absolutely fantastic visible application of a philosophy on stage. We had three Divisions working separately on this, but
as a whole group the teachers put their students at the center of the
creative process. The students came up with their own reality in each
of their perspective scenes," said White. "From the RSC perspective this
is exactly what we are working toward. This work shows that young
people are not simply the recipients of learning. That being said, it also
took the dedication of the community, strong direction, the dedication
of the teachers, the students and the parents. We did not just see a
performance, but a group of people of all ages dedicated to a purpose
truly taking care of each other."
As the entire cast of Horace Mann School's A Midsummer Night's
Dream squeezed onto the stage to take their final bows at their production's last performance Horace Mann Head of School Dr. Tom Kelly called
out his hearty congratulations from his seat in Gross Theater, mentioning Dahl, the RSC teachers, and the entire cast and production crew.
RSC Director of Education Jacqui O'Hanlon then mounted the stage.
"This was an extraordinary culmination of an incredible amount of
work by so many people," said O'Hanlon, who also established the RSC's
Learning and Performance Network. "Your school's enthusiasm and the
cast's incredible dedication and commitment to this work was profound
and truly moving."
O'Hanlon noted that of the many schools with which the RSC works
throughout England and around the world "this company is probably
Horace Mann Magazine Spring 2017

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