‘Pride and Prejudice’ tested students’ dramatic talents

By Clara Moffitt

“There is nothing so bad as parting with one’s friends. One seems so forlorn without them.” This quote stated by Pride and Prejudice character, Mrs. Bennet, seems to sum up the feelings of the cast of Tempe Prep’s recent production of the famous novel by Jane Austin.

In early April, TPA students grades 8-12 performed their long-rehearsed production of Pride and Prejudice to their friends, family, and others in the TPA community. Tempe Prep’s curriculum actually includes Pride and Prejudice in the 10th grade, and senior Kayla Wight, who played Elizabeth Bennet, says, “A lot of students who came to see the play . . . said that it was really cool to see [the story] produced in a visual form.”

Mr. SandersonDespite Pride and Prejudice having a more difficult plot, students seemed to love that it was more “creative and fun to watch.” Though it may have looked easy from the audience, producing a show that has the complexity of a show like Pride and Prejudice requires hours of hard works to put together blocking, choreography, complicated lines, and of course, accents.

Kayla identifies that “Pride and Prejudice has to be super British.” Drama teacher and the play’s director, Mr. Sanderson, also says, “The biggest challenge for me was the fact that this adaptation of the play . . . tries to cram what would normally be about 12 hours of reading into two hours of stage time. There were I think almost 30 different scenes in the play, and choreographing the constant scene changes was very difficult.”

All of the hard work put in by the cast of this year’s play definitely paid off in both a fantastic production and an incredible learning experience. “I think it was a major success for the students. Many of them had never been in a play before, and this was a real ‘crash course’ for some of them,” says Mr. Sanderson. “They learned a lot, and it also created friendships and drew students closer together as they worked on the show.”

Mr. Sanderson does not intend to stop after one success, however. He is ready to take on next year’s production and continue to refine and expand TPA’s drama program. He says, “I’m pleased to announce that next year we will be doing the Broadway musical version of The Secret Garden, which is a really beautiful show,” after which he intends to alternate each year between a play and a musical.

Without a doubt, the success of the drama program derives from the phenomenal work of director Mr. Sanderson, but also the participation of students. Kayla exclaims, “Everyone should try out!” She continues to elaborate on the wonderful experience she had participating in this year’s play and hopes to see more and more students participate in the future. “There is a part for literally everyone, especially in The Secret Garden,” she adds.

Additionally, Mr. Sanderson is announcing now that the play will be pushed forward three weeks to create more flexibility and minimal conflict with winter sports. As theatre at TPA continues to rise, more and more students are able to participate in the drama program, making them more well-rounded, and exposing them to new and exciting experiences.

Mr. Sanderson concludes, “Putting on a play is a lot of work, but it’s really fun. Since I was a little kid, theatre has been one of my greatest sources of joy. One of my goals at TPA is to spread that joy to the students and to show them how much the theater has to offer them.”