The Snow Queen
By Emmy Dunbar
4th Grade Belgrade Central School
One of our favorite weeks of the school year has come to an end. March 4th- March 8th was Missoula week at Belgrade Central School. The set is now packed up and Justin and Daniel have hit the road and are heading to a school in New Hampshire. The Missoula Children’s Theater program brings plays to different parts of the world. The Missoula week started with a snow day (as it often does), so all the kids who were looking forward to auditions had to wait another day. All the kids got a part and our rehearsal schedule was readjusted.
Starting on Tuesday after school, the students gathered in the cafeteria for auditions. We sang songs like Row, Row, Row Your Boat. Then we said lines and did some movements. Later that afternoon, they announced our parts.
We had to practice a lot as we got used to our parts. My brother was a “Snow Chicken”. I was a “Hobgoblin”. The Hobgoblins were on stage almost all the time. We were part of the scene and helped to narrate the story. We were led by Hob (Justin) who was the director on stage. The Snow Chickens were mostly first and second graders. Some of the other parts were the Robbers, the Little Robber Girl, the Old Robber Woman, the Gardener Woman, the Lapish Woman, Kay and Gerda, Kay’s Grandmother, Gerda’s Grandmother, the Finish Woman, the Snow Animals, the Royalty, the Yeti, and of course the Snow Queen. We had rehearsal after auditions and on Wednesday and Thursday we had rehearsal too. Friday was our dress rehearsal. After dress rehearsal was our cast party! We got our Snow Queen shirts and had the cast sign them.
Next thing we knew Saturday was here. The BCS gym was packed. As Justin and Daniel did our makeup we played silent games. Then we silently entered the music room to prepare to go on stage. My part was the first onstage. We had to be behind the set all the time because we were on all the time. Both the afternoon and evening shows were great! There were around 55 students who participated. Each and every one of them gave it their all.
Let’s thank Mrs. Holinger, Mrs. Atwood, Mrs. Dunbar (my mother), Mrs. Wrenn, all the teachers at BCS, and all the parents who volunteered. Thank you for coming to the play (if you did). And be sure to come to our Missoula play next year!
All photos by Brittney Fairfield Photography
