Drama 9/10 Students Present "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" for ES Students

Drama 9/10 Students Present "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" for ES Students
  • Arts
Dr. Jon Reimer

On March 13, students from Drama 9/10 mounted their most ambitious project yet with "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory," a unique adaptation of the beloved Roald Dahl story specifically for Seisen elementary students. 

In the story, Charlie Bucket and several other "lucky" children find golden tickets hidden by candy-maker Willy Wonka amongst his chocolate bars, granting them access to his mysterious factory. This 50-minute musical utilized the script from the 1971 film starring Gene Wilder, retaining several of its famous songs and scenes while altering the content to fit the group's talents, ideas, and time limit. 

Wonka Cast

The performance was the culmination of Drama 9/10's second unit of the year, the topic of which was Form and Content. In the unit, students learned how arts such as performance exist at the intersection of form and content, expressing an artist's aesthetic and style. These concepts and ideas fed into what the students ultimately decided to include in their production. In the end, their decisions made the show uniquely their version of a familiar story. 

“This was the most ambitious production we have put on in the Drama Room yet,” said Drama Teacher Dr. Reimer. "The students lobbied to do this show, and they put a great deal of effort into making it as unique and entertaining as they could with the resources they had at their disposal." 

Audience members were particularly responsive during some moments of the performance – shouting out for candy when the Candy Man appeared, gasping with surprise when the chocolate factory set was revealed, and laughing aloud when Violet's costume blew her up like a blueberry. Overall, students and faculty alike who got to see the performance were entertained by the fluid storytelling and creative staging. 

Congratulations to all of the students who performed and worked backstage on this fun and festive musical! Hopefully, this show will continue to inspire the next generation of Seisen students to sign up for Drama and support the school community through dramatic performances.


 

Want to support Drama at Seisen? Mark your calendars to come to see this year's Joint Musical, "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat," which features the talents of Drama students from Seisen, Saint Mary's, and Sacred Heart, April 12-14 at SMIS's Multi-Purpose Hall. 

  • Drama

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