Middle School Play Recap: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe

9/10/2019

by Hope Moeller, Middle School Drama Director & Grade 2 Faculty

In February, the Middle School Drama Club put on a production of The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe, the classic tale by C.S. Lewis. All of us were excited to tell our version of this story. Our parents had read the story to us, or we had read it ourselves, and most of the students had seen the 2005 movie.

It felt that this story was an old friend we knew like the backs of our hands. Of course, once we were in the weeds, breaking the story apart and creating Narnia together, we realized how much we had forgotten or never understood. Walking back through the beautiful language, again and again, was an enjoyable indulgence.

The story tells the tale of four children, roughly the ages of our middle school actors, who were sent away from their parents in the middle of World War II. I think it is easy for any child to feel a lack of control over the major decisions in their lives, whatever their life circumstances. Certainly, the Pevensies and real-life children in times of war are relatable to all of us in that way. They did not choose the war exploding around them, and being sent from their parents during such an uncertain time must have been scary and confusing. That they landed in a mystical world in which they were the catalyst of the triumph of good over evil empowers them in a way the real circumstances of their lives cannot. So it is no wonder our own middle schoolers are so drawn to Narnia.

There were so many fantastical and wonderful characters to dig our teeth into in Narnia! Anna Crawford portrayed an intimidating and icy White Witch, and Sammy Taylor’s Aslan was regal and stoic. Sophia Frist cornered Mr. Tumnus’ nervous loyalty, and the four Pevensie children each found the moment when they realized their role in saving Narnia and stepped up to the challenge—some more reluctantly than others. The rest of the ensemble floated gracefully through the myriad roles they played. We choreographed epic battles between centaurs and wolves, with death scenes and a resurrection. Our actors played haunted trees, an enchanted wardrobe, and a beaver dam. This was a true ensemble production with most of our cast playing two or three different and important roles.

Creating Narnia on stage presented some challenges. Thankfully, Kathryn Swords, our art teacher and scenic designer, happened upon an Anthropologie store decorated for the holiday season and saw Narnia in the birch trees and plywood moose. That store graciously donated their window dressing to us when their holiday season was over, and we were delighted with the results! John Picklesimer built us a wardrobe and a lamppost, and we were up and running! Emily Parrelli, English teacher and costume designer, created a lion’s mane and endless ears and tails so that our ensemble could portray the entire population of Narnia and the English countryside.

This play was ambitious for us. When a story is as familiar and beloved as this one, the pressure to do it justice is real. Our enthusiasm was on point, though, and every member of our ensemble contributed to creating the Narnia of our imaginations. We hit some unexpected bumps, but in the end, our cast and crew told the story of Narnia with intensity and grace. These words that Aslan told Lucy rang true for us day after day: “All shall be done, but it may be harder than you think!”

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