Matilda leaves crowd in awe
Burk, playing Miss Trunchbull, yells at Matilda, played by Jane Wester, as her classmates look on with fear at theatre’s production of Matilda first semester.
In the school’s production of Matilda, sophomore Connor Burke sings in the role of Miss Trunchbull. In the Broadway production, Trunchbull is typically placed by a male actor, to give her a more stern persona.
In the title role of Matilda, sophomore Jane Wester sings in the opening act. Students have been preparing for the musical since August, however, after the show completed, many students found themselves catching up on missed school work.
Lifted up by her fellow cast members, sophomore Mia Tremmel prepares to sing in the role of Bruce.
An aspiring playwriter, senior Chloe Zonis sits down with Wingspan to talk about her passion for the stage.
The theater department’s four day run performance of Matilda the Musical ended on Sunday with a standing ovation.
Adapted from the 1988 book Matilda by Roald Dahl, the musical tells the story of a little girl who’s neglected by her unloving parents but is able to find safety in books before finding a teacher who believed in her.
Playing Matilda, sophomore Jane Wester, enjoyed getting to perform with her castmates and learning new things as an actor.
“As much fun as it is to perform, it’s more fun to perform with other people and getting their energy and to spend time throughout this rehearsal process with them,” Wester said. “It’s definitely a lot of work. I’m really tired, but it’s really really rewarding, to progress throughout the rehearsal process and just through the shows that we have to learn as an actor.”
While the focus was on Wester, other cast members enjoyed being part of the show.
“It was so great to be in the ensemble,” senior Shivani Desai said. “We got to be in so many numbers, and the dances and choreography were really fun. Being in the ensemble also meant we got to see more of the play from close up, which I really liked, because in the past I’ve had to attempt to watch from the sides of the stage.”
For audience member senior Hanna Turner, the character Miss Trunchbull shined in their own way.
“The principal is my favorite character. The actor who plays her did a really good job making the crowd laugh,” Turner said. “There were a couple of times throughout the play that I got confused, like when Bruce was eating the cake. I didn’t understand why but overall I really enjoyed this play.”
According to cast member, senior, Meron Tamiru, the cast was able to connect with each other and have many great experiences.
“We were able to build a theater family and we got stronger bones through the rehearsals we had,” Tamiru said. “And I think it really changed our lives in a way, we got to experience a lot of things. As a cast we got really close to each other, and we really got to see the future of the theater department through the the hardworking freshmen and sophomores.”
Kanz Bitar is currently a senior who joined Wingspan her junior year. She has since her freshman year involved herself with many creative pursuits. She...
