Spend time talking with students in Michelle Crain’s drama class at Dayton Intermediate School and it’s not long before one realizes the recurring theme is “we’re family.”
As the students relentlessly rehearse ahead of their public performances of “Romeo & Juliet,” taking place Friday, May 16 and Saturday, May 17, the ties that bind while challenging at first, have been woven into a tapestry of unconditional acceptance, tolerance, care and dependability, qualities not always readily seen on a school campus.
“We all come from different groups in the school, but in this class we work as a team,” said Jalen Towsley, 14. This class has drawn him out and helped him overcome his shyness and realize that in spite of students’ differences, “we’re all going through similar things.”
“I lost my mom a year ago and this is my drama family,” said Brittnae Muerle, 14. “If we have issues, we get over it, get on with it and it doesn’t matter if you’re shy or very shy, you be yourself and you be secure, because no one’s being judged here. That’s the bond we have.”
Fostering this environment has been teacher Michele Crain’s mission since the beginning.
“I am very clear that this is a safe place to be and set the tone for the students that they can express any emotion and that there is zero tolerance for negative support,” Crain said. “I also really respect the kids and constantly talk about how we are a family; they are all heard and listened to, they’re allowed in this class to feel every emotion and they really are tight.
“Like a family, sometimes we fight, but talk it out, get past it and get on with it because life is short and these are life skills they will need to know going forward.”
The class sees all roles, whether on stage, back stage or running lights as equally important. And they are learning various life skills, even beyond how to deal with one another.
Amy Redmond, 12, is in her first year and has been pushed out of her comfort zone. “I was really afraid to act at first and now I will do anything, and I've also learned a lot about eighth-graders – they’re not scary at all.”
In doing hair and make-up for the show, Heather Steelmon, 14, may have found her future niche. “I really enjoy it, have found I am good at it and have the right personality for it,” she said.
This is the second production this school year, and the students are enthusiastic about getting to know their man, Bill.
“Shakespeare is amazing … anything else would be a step down,” said Adam Millet, 14. Millet, true to an actor’s form, threw every bit of his body into the statement.
Ryan Johnson, 13, feels the Bard’s works are “more poetic and serious” than others, but can be changed to fit all audiences. “This is the modernized version of the play and it is fun.”
This version of “Romeo and Juliet” was drawn from several sources, and the language has been largely changed and contemporary music added, to tailor the performance to what the audience can bear.
“The language of (original) Shakespeare is difficult and dreadful for most audiences,” Crain said. “This production was pulled from a version created for middle school, and from my husband’s and my own versions,” she said. “You have to look at your audience and who you’re playing to.”
Crain also included in her instruction studies about who Shakespeare the man, which her students have found interesting.
“Sure Shakespeare was a great literary person, but he was also a party boy who left his wife and children and didn’t make the best decisions,” she said. “Of course he did come back to his wife, but understanding him (on a human level) brings him to life.”
The fact the play happens in Verona, Nev. and occurs in a casino, rather than a house and the many other ways it has incorporated things familiar to the Silver State, also makes it interesting, said Alyssa Bispo, 13.
“This has been an amazing group of students who have worked really hard,” Crain said. “The kids will walk away with an understanding of interpretation and how body language, tone, performance and story all come together.
“The kids have worked hard and I look forward to the community coming out to enjoy what will be a great performance.”
Cast and crew for “Romeo and Juliet” are Jester: Amy Redmond; Sam: Brittnae Muerle; Georgia: Sydney Soderborg; Abby: Katie Dunkin; Apothecary: Claire Holloway; Balthazar: Aspen Cram; Benvolia: Alaura Greenwalt; Tybalt: Mark Brandon; Lord Capulet: Ryan Johnson; Lady Capulet: Sarah Sorich; Lady Montague: Alyssa Bispo; Chief: Christina Redmond; Romeo: Jalen Towsley; Paris: Joey Martinez; Nurse: Luisa Flores; Juliet: Nayelli Lara-Guiterrez; Mercutio: Adam Millet; Chorus: Victoria McGrew, Hailey Celedon, Jessica Dotson, Stephanie Wilkes. Sound: Hannah Gottschalk; Costumes: Jessica Dotson; Spotlight: Hailey Celedon; Stage Hand: Lane Anderson; Hair and Make-Up: Heather Steelmon; Prop Goddess: Victoria McGrew; Props: Stephanie Wilkes. Director/Producer: Michele Crain; Set Director and Design: Redarle Baker; Production Assistant: Rachel Reid; Videographer: Brenda Johns; Music Editor: Benjamin Reynolds.
The public is invited and admission is $5 per person at the door. Dayton Intermediate School is located at 315 Dayton Valley Road. For more information, call the school at 775-246-6250.
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