Bringing a beloved book and movie to life on stage is no easy task. As Verveine Oringer ’27 puts it, “the show is the Matilda we all know and love”. The challenge of recreating something so familiar to students and audiences is a daunting one, but as the lights go down in Bradley Hall and the show begins, the production is undoubtedly something entirely unique and exciting.
It’s about a girl who has really mean parents and she’s much more gifted than all of the other kids with nice parents. She goes to a school with an awful teacher and a nice teacher. You watch her get the help she needs to be the best that she can be as a gifted kid.
-Theo Greene ’27
One of the most notable aspects of Beaver’s Middle School production of Matilda is the wide range of roles students play in producing the show. On stage, multiple students portray various characters. Off stage, Middle School students work as stage managers, lighting board operators, and run crew members. Upper School students are involved in the production as well; choreographer Mr. Vlad Derisier and Costume Designer Ms. Bethany Eddy are joined by multiple Upper School students helping to make Matilda’s costumes and choreography pop on stage.
Matilda manages to tell a story not only through actors, but through incredibly dynamic visuals as well. Backstage, Mabel Forkner ’27 and Baker Henson ’28 serve as projection operators for the show. Their role is essential in Matilda, as they utilize shadow puppetry to convey aspects of the plot that would otherwise go unseen to the audience. For example, as the character of Matilda (Maddy SáCouto ’29) is recounting a book she read to her librarian Mrs. Phelps (Margo Kuznetsova ’27), images from the book manifest behind them.
Rehearsing has been a long process but definitely worth it. I’ve gotten pretty close with some of the people here that I don’t get to see outside of class because they are in other grades.
-Cassie Scott ’28
It is no surprise that every student involved in Matilda lights up when asked about the production. Through a week of auditions, music and dance rehearsals, a hectic two weeks of tech runs, and two nights of shows, the cast and crew have proven that hard work pays off. When asked why people should come see the show, Theo Green ’27 (who portrays Mr. Wormwood) says “we worked really hard on it. It’s a lot of fun and has nice songs”. Verveine Oringer ’27 (who portrays an acrobat) says “it’s a lot like the regular Matilda but it has some cool new plot twists. It’s just a really fun and energetic show that is very sweet at moments and very dramatic at others”. Cassie Scott ’28 (who portrays Erica) simply says “why not?”
You can see Roald Dahl’s Matilda: The Musical on February 9 and 10 at 6 p.m. in Bradley Hall. Tickets to the show can be purchased here.