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June 28, 2016

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A daunting yet rewarding journey to Narnia

THE Lower Senior School of Dulwich College Shanghai performed “Narnia” based on the stories by C. S. Lewis.

We received lots of praise for our efforts, making us feel proud and honored to be a part of the production. What our audience didn’t know, however, was the hard work and hours of effort all cast and crew members put in to make our play such a success.

When Ms Graves first introduced the notion of the play — a physical rendition of a favorite childhood story — we were excited, yet apprehensive. The idea of Aslan as a five-person puppet was daunting. Both cast and crew were able to take this in their stride, however, and over the course of the next few months, we began to piece together the physical and dramatic elements of the production.

Rehearsals during the week and on the weekends were tiring but provided long periods of bonding and theatrical creativity. Being able to share ideas and adapt them allowed us all to grow individually and as part of a larger group. As the play evolved, so did we. The characters became more pronounced and realistic, aided by an ever-helpful production crew.

Makeup and costume artists worked tirelessly on transforming the actors into an assortment of animals, older men and women, and of course, the White Witch. The props department brought the enchanting objects of Narnia to life. One of their greatest feats was the lamp-post — the symbol of Narnia, which was also the most important landmark for the play.

The technical crew provided the perfect lighting and sounds to complement the scenes, and backstage hands ensured that the scenes ran smoothly, reducing the frequent flurries of panic backstage, to purposeful preparation for the next scene.

However, we would never have been able to bring together, and organize both cast and crew, without the guidance and support of our amazing director, Ms Graves. She managed to take a group of Year 7 to 9 students and transformed them into actors and performers who put on an entire play.

Her love and skillful direction provided a strong and creative foundation for our performance. Ms Graves allowed us to take a beloved childhood story and turn it into an amazing spectacle and for that we thank her dearly.

“Narnia” was an unforgettable experience and the memories will be cherished forever.




 

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