"Sing Down the Moon: Appalachian Wonder Tales" to hit the stage Feb. 23 and 24

 

Director Kayleen Baldwin said that the show cast is “filled with lots of energy,” as they wrap up rehearsals and prepare for the performances on February 23 and 24. “It is a great dynamic between all of the students and everyone is excited to be here.” 

The show, which performs a collection of well-known fairy tale stories through a bluegrass, folk lens, has a host of eclectic characters, which the Middle School students enjoy bringing to life. 

“There are so many funny, quirky characters, and the students really embrace the challenge of acting them out,” Mrs. Baldwin said. 

As the curtains are drawn for the show, the production has incorporated the work of more than 25 Middle School students on stage, supported by dozens of Upper School students backstage as well. 

“There are many costumes and set changes, characters and homes to build and areas to create,” Elisa Torres, art teacher and the show’s technical director, said. “In the early stages it was an exciting part, and while it still is, it has become one of the biggest challenges as we come to execute the set.” 

Set in the Appalachian Mountains, the stage scenery is designed to relay just that - mountains, wooded areas, and homes that change based on the characters.

“There are many story lines (throughout the show), but we didn’t want to create a new set for each story, so we had to be creative with how to communicate different stories on the same set,” Ms. Torres added, noting that by using different props and set pieces they are able to accomplish that goal. 

Using visual depth and movement, the scenes come to life through dance and setting highlighting the work of Dr. Kat Hussmann who serves as the show’s choreographer. 

“Appalachian dancing is a different style than we’ve done before, with a lot of rhythmic moves and social dancing steps,” Dr. Hussmann said. “We’ve adapted this for the show and are having fun keeping it moving with an all-girls cast.”

She added that while the style may not be what the girls are typically used to, they’ve been getting used to the precision of the dances adjusting to the speed of their feet and the structure of their bodies.

In addition to the hard work of the Middle Schoolers on stage, several Upper School students donated their time and talents to help build the set on several weekends. 

“They were creative and had fun with it,” Ms. Torres said. “They learned something new, and whether they are artistic or not, they are so much more capable than they realize. Set design is totally different from an art piece.” 

Alongside the choral work of Ms. Sarah Wilcox, music director, the production team is eager to present Sing Down the Moon: Appalachian Wonder Tales to audiences soon. Purchase your tickets here. Tickets will also be sold onsite.