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With smiles and energy, FISW students performed in front
of sold out audiences during a two-night run of the musical, “How to Eat Like a Child”
On 12 and 13 May 2022, an enthusiastic audience cheered for FISW’s first after-school musical production entitled “How To Eat Like A
Child...And other Lessons in Not Being a Grown Up!” – performed on the new stage in the FISW Commons, put in place last summer. Students participated in every aspect of the musical – from acting, singing and dancing, to working on the technical crew and managing backstage responsibilities.
Over the course of seven weeks, 39 students in Grades 3-8 came together twice a week to prepare for the show. Cast members rehearsed scenes and musical numbers, while the tech crew was busy planning and creating the props and designing the set. During the performances, students were not only performing on stage, but also helping out backstage by keeping props organized, changing the set between scenes, or running light and sound cues. Regardless of their role, all students involved grew their skills in cooperation, timing and self-expression.
In the weeks leading up to the musical’s debut performances, actors spent hours memorizing their lines and song lyrics, as well as practicing dance choreography. Their hard work paid off as they grinned from ear-to-ear, greeting parents, friends and family members who came to see them perform. This was the first time acting in a musical for Sally S. (Grade 3). When asked about how the experience went, she said, “I almost shed tears of joy during the curtain call. Everyone was clapping and it just made me feel like I am really an actress.”
Due to her past experience directing this play, and because there are a number of whole-group songs punctuated by short vignettes or solo song performances, FISW parent and PTG President Ashley Sommers proposed the musical and thought it would adapt well to a cast of any age.
“There’s a role for everybody, so we could promise every student who auditioned that they would get a part,” said Sommers, “It’s also really funny and relatable.”
8 FIS World June 2022
FISW Shines in the Spotlight
A musical debut features student talent