Entire SVE Student Body Performs in MCT's "Rapunzel"

SWAN VALLEY - The entire student body of Swan Valley Elementary School (SVE), 28 students in kindergarten through eighth grade, performed in the Montana Children's Theater (MCT) production of "Rapunzel" Friday, March 4.

"Performing builds confidence and teaches skills [the students] can use all their lives," said SVE Supervising Teacher Susan Bracha.

Physical Education aide Todd Townsend, who was in drama in high school, added that performing takes the kids out of their comfort zone and at the same time they get support from their peers. Townsend and Bracha played Rapunzel's parents in the "Rapunzel" play.

Students in the three SVE classrooms had varying opinions on their parts in the play and the play itself. Some said they would like to have a career in the performing arts. Especially in the lower grades, students said they enjoyed learning and performing their parts, the songs and dances.

Some of the older students in grades four through eight agreed that "Rapunzel" was funny, they liked the singing and the fun they had working with the directors. They also indicated that they felt the most popular production from past years was "The Secret Garden" because of its story line and fun parts.

Seventh-grader Rose Mercer said she would like to produce entertainment events. Fourth-grader Nakira Morgan would like to make educational movies. "I would like to act and make people laugh,," said fifth-grader Kyla Conley.

When asked what he liked about performing, sixth-grader Seth Richardson said, "I love to interact with the crowd." Eighth-grader Riley White said, "I like being in someone else's shoes [being someone different]." And Eighth-grader Jayla Kauffman said, "I like the way Madame Gothel [Kauffman's role in Rapunzel] gets to yell at people." Connor Matthew, fifth-grader, said, "It helps people not be shy." Third-grader Rilyn Richardson said she liked her unicorn costume.

Second grader Lillian Boyd said, "I like fairies and I was a pixie that protected the gremlins."

What some of the students didn't like or said was challenging about the play was the costumes which Mercer thought should be updated. "Changing scenes quickly in the dark is hard." said seventh-grader Kinley Moore. "Standing on the ladder [inside the tower as Rapunzel] and singing is difficult." said White.

The junior high students agreed that the workshops the directors led on make-up and mime were fun. Eighth-grader Alysa Russell thought the game where the cast put the action and the parts in the play in "fast forward" so they could get finished quickly was fun.

"The directors," said Russell, "made it [the process] fun and not boring."

MCT Directors Mary Kate McLaurine and Alex K. Jenkins have degrees in theater and are both from Alabama. They have presented "Rapunzel," written by Michael McGill for MCT, 26 times in as many schools since June 2015.

Jenkins said that their main goal is to make sure the children have a good experience, have success and not focus on mistakes.

McLaurine said that she likes working with small country schools where the different age groups interact with each other easily. She said "Rapunzel" had a good message for the students. In a humorous way it showed how kindness is more beneficial than bullying.

To read more about MCT visit http://www.MCTinc.org and find them on Facebook.