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General News: CCMS Drama Club Performs Two Tales
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| The young Emperor wears clothes that makes him feel majestic. |
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| Townspeople greet the Emperor. |
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| The royal seamstress and the young boy who speaks freely with the Emperor. |
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| These two women promise to make some magic clothes. |
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| Ti Moun's mother, left, warns her to find another as her father looks on. |
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| Despite her mother's warning, Ti Moun dreams of a future with her "prince." |
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| The people and animals of the island sing and dance together. |
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| The butterflies. |
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| The gods of the island play a big role in this story. |
March 15, 2012
By Nancy Peckenham
This year’s Cornwall Central Middle School Drama Club production features two one-act plays that are both based on a Hans Christian Anderson fable. The Emperor’s New Clothes is a well-known tale and Once On This Island is loosely based on the The Little Mermaid, another classic.
At dress rehearsal this week, the young actors and actresses were sparkling in their colorful period costumes and make up. The quality of the singing voices of the lead characters was impressive and their flamboyant gestures showed a real stage presence.
The first piece on stage is The Emperor’s New Clothes, which tells the story of an Emperor who is obsessed with his appearance and falls for the promise of two swindlers to create beautiful magic clothes for him. The only catch is that these clothes cannot be seen by anyone who is a fool. The Emperor praises the final suit they make for him, not able to admit that he cannot see the new clothes and showing that he is indeed a fool. A young boy reveals the truth at last and the Emperor finds a new source of self-worth.
In this lovely choreographed production, the towns people and the courtiers sing, dance and show off great talents on stage. The abundance of talent among the students at the middle school is what prompted director Marietta Moulton and musical director Valerie Ransbottom to produce two separate pieces this year, giving more students a chance to perform lead parts.
Once On This Island
The second piece in the show is Once On This Island, which centers around a peasant girl on a tropical island who uses the power of love to bring together people of different social classes. It is a feast for the eyes to watch the show, which is set on an island populated with singing and dancing butterflies, frogs and birds.
In the story, the young village girl Ti Moune is helped by the gods to rescue a rich young man injured in an accident. She falls in love with him and the pair sing a sweet duet, “You are Mine,” igniting a brief spark that soon is extinguished. Ti Moune’s mother warns her that she should find another, “chose your dreams with care,” she sings.
The show provides another great opportunity for song and dance, as the gods prance across the stage and two conga drum players join the pit orchestra for two dance routines. Even musical director Valerie Ransbottom gets in the act, sing wildly with the drums as she pounds her piano.
Rehearsals Did Not Go According to Plan
One of the most magical facets of this weekend’s performance of the two shows is the unexpected delivery of a baby to the show’s director, teacher Marietta Moulton, six weeks before he was due. Mrs. Moulton says that she had planned to have her second child in early April, a good two weeks after the final performance of the play. Baby Drew had other plans and Moulton said she rushed to a nearby hospital from a volleyball game on February 25 where he was delivered way ahead of his scheduled time.
Although she hasn’t been at school, Moulton has made it to some rehearsal and says she called on the drama club members to pull the show together. “It’s not just one person,” she told them, “but everyone makes it happen.” That includes a host of parents who helped manage the show rehearsals, costumes, sets, publicity, ticket sales, as well as the musicians who give their time to play the rousing musical scores for the show.
The Emperor’s New Clothes and Once On This Island will be performed at the Cornwall Central Middle School at 7 pm on Friday, March 16 and Saturday, March 17. Tickets may be purchased at the door.
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