While many schools deal with budget cuts by canceling electives such as drama and music, Covenant Classical School recently has expanded its theater department.
What was once available only to high school students is now an option for middle school students as well. Now, for the first time, after much practice and determination, these seventh- and eighth-graders will perform a spring production to show off what they have learned.
The presentation will consist of two short plays.
The seventh-graders will perform "After Hours." The story is about a group of talented mannequins in a clothing store that come to life and catch a burglar, yet can become very still whenever window shoppers walk by so as not to get caught.
Then the eighth-graders will present a nonmusical version of the classic tale "Beauty and the Beast." This version adds a couple of characters.
"It's going to be done a little bit different than the Disney movie, in that a narrator explains a few things," said director George Pfeffer, whose assistant is senior Jannel Glenn.
"There is also a mime and a painter," Pfeffer said. "The idea is that the painter is painting this whole scenario."
Pfeffer, who has been with Covenant for four years, teaches not only theater classes, but also chemistry, physics and rhetoric as well.
The theater students had their hands in every aspect of the production, Pfeffer said, from painting the scenery to collecting props to handling the technical work. While some will be performing on stage, others will be behind the scenes working the curtains and lights.
"People need to be exposed to the arts. Some people are better at this than athletics," Pfeffer said. "This offers another way, besides sports, for someone to come before the public and make a name for themselves.
"Also, a lot of times it is the athletes that get involved in theater, and it gives us a chance to see another side of them," he said. "Plus, it's good for students to work on other talents."
Many parents are happy with this new curriculum and told Pfeffer what a difference it has made with their children, especially the ones who were somewhat shy at first.
"They are pleased to see that their children, who seemed encased in a shell, are breaking out and are showing talents that other people might not have realized," he said. "It's a way to gain confidence, too."
Pfeffer told me how he makes sure each student is aware of how important his or her role is to the production.
"I try to tell them you may have a big part or you may have a little part, but it's the teamwork that really counts," he said. "Because even with a little part, if someone doesn't remember their lines, the whole play comes crashing to a halt."
So, if you're looking for an enjoyable family night out, come to Covenant at 7 p.m. Tuesday. The plays should run around 45 minutes each, Pfeffer said, and admission is free.
The school is on Davidson Highway (N.C. 73 West) between U.S. 29 and Interstate 85.
I want to wish the best of luck to George Pfeffer, Jannel Glenn and all the seventh- and eighth-grade students. As they say in show business: Break a leg!
