Thanks to some clever video editing by drama teacher Paul Barker and lots of creativity and heart, middle school students at Clairbourn found a new way to perform their annual Pooh Play while in remote-learning mode.
This year’s play featured a fresh story concept developed by Mr. Barker inspired by A. A. Milne’s characters from the Winnie the Pooh series. In the play, Roo and Tigger get into lots of trouble, including becoming stuck in the tree-tops, while other characters have crossed-path adventures throughout the Hundred Acre Wood.
The Pooh Play gives many middle school students their first real exposure to acting, and because of the supportive community at Clairbourn, students are often excited to try performing knowing their efforts will be appreciated and celebrated by their classmates and younger students. This type of entry-level acting lets students be silly, fun, and quirky with few wrong answers on stage. It creates a positive learning experience that exposes them to the deeper skills of learning lines, developing a stage presence, and building the stamina needed to perform in a series of shows.
Later in the year, Grade 6-8 students can expand upon these skills by auditioning for the annual Shakespeare Play, a full-text version involving more elaborate costuming and staging. While such a big production may seem out of reach for young people not yet in high school, the students receive plenty of preparation in English class to understand the entire plot of the play, the meaning of their lines, as well as the wit and comedic features of Shakespeare. Extensive rehearsals with expert drama coaches follows, which helps each student bring their character to life in front of a live audience.
In addition, students who participate in both the Pooh Play and the Shakespeare play are good examples of the growth-mindset in action at Clairbourn where students are inspired to take risks and try something new. Even though acting can be a big stretch for them, they often find they are loving the journey and enjoying the spotlight alongside their classmates, even if they haven’t achieved total mastery yet.
Clairbourn School Provides Private School Education for Preschool, Kindergarten, Elementary School, and Middle School Grades | Serving Families in the Pasadena, California, Area and Surrounding Cities (K-12 Private Schools) Clairbourn is a 501(c)3 charitable organization.
Creating Scholars and Leaders with Heart