It’s a “Wonderful Life” This Year At the Paul Mellon Arts Center
By Elizabeth Gribkoff ‘09
News Staff Reporter
As always, the Paul Mellon Arts Center has a stunning line-up of student productions for the 2006/07 school-year, from the dark and deep “Antigone” to the amtic musical “Sweet Charity.”
“Antigone,” the first student production this year, will be performed on November 2-4 in the St. John Chapel basement. “Antigone” was originally written as a Greek tragedy by Sophocles and updated in 1942 by French playwright Jean Anouilh. The original version focuses on the struggle between a female optimist, Antigone, played by Melody Travers ‘08, and her strict Uncle Creon (Sabrina Lazarus’07), who takes over Thebes after the death of Antigone’s father, the former king of Thebes. Director Liz Walbridge ‘07 chose this particular drama because “it’s a fighter’s play- it’s about strength and choices.” Walbridge has added a few interesting twists to this classic, most notably deciding to set “Antigone” in a Nazi concentration camp rather than a Greek kingdom with an all-female cast of ten. Choate’s “holiday play” this year is “It’s a Wonderful Life,” which will be put on November 30th - December 2nd. This play tells the touching story of George Bailey (Ryan Geddes ‘09), a kind man who finds himself contemplating suicide one Christmas Eve when his holiday cheer is sorely lacking. George is saved from this abysmal fate when his guardian angel, Clarence, played by Rachel Berger ’07, falls down to Earth and shows George the many ways in which he has helped his community. Director and drama instructor Tracy Ginder-Delventhal chose this play because she “thought it was beautiful, fun, and interesting,” and “the play teaches us that if we are kind and give love, the impact that we will have will be tremendous.”
On February 15th -17th, a group of eighteen students will perform the drama “Rimers of Eldritch,” a tale of crime in Bible-Belt America. “Rimers” was written by two-time Pulitzer winner Lanford Wilson and was made into a movie starring Rue McClanahan in 1974. The play focuses on a rape and unrelated murder trial that occur in the remote town of Eldritch, Iowa, and on how the supposed morality of the townspeople may just mask their true feelings and actions. Ginder-Delventhal describes it as “a play about gossip, judgment, and sin” that is “very pertinent to this community.”
Choate will naturally be holding the much loved “Winter Cabaret” on January 25th -28th as well as the 16th annual “Student Playwriting Festival” on May 10th – 12th. “Winter Cabaret” features a medley of songs from Broadway classics to lesser known treasures. The “Student Playwriting Festival” is, as the name suggests, an event in which plays are written, directed, acted, and managed almost entirely by students. Ginder-Delventhal selects the plays, generally between three and five short performances depending upon the quality of submissions. The vibrant show “Sweet Charity” will be Choate’s 37th annual Spring Musical. It tells the story of Charity, a girl who works in a dance club and wants desperately to be loved. The score for this musical was written by Cy Coleman and includes such hits as “Hey, Big Spender.”
Ranging from the intellectually stimulating “Antigone” and “Rimers,” to the lighter-hearted “Winter Cabaret” and “Sweet Charity,” the variety of productions this year ensures that every member of the Choate community will enjoy drama’s full emotional gamut.
