Noah’s Fishing Boat
The biggest project for Rødøy school every year is the school play, and it is truly unique. I’ve never seen anything like it.
All 28 kids in the school from grade 1 to 10 were in the play. There was no audition. Everyone in the whole school got in front of the spotlight. For several weeks, the play occupied everyone’s mind. The week before the performance, the school shut down: students and teachers went to the playhouse to rehearse everyday.
Not only that, everyone took part in writing the play. Of course the play had to be original — how else would you give a part to every student? Students had a big voice in what characters they would play and lines they would say. After the theme was set and each student had a role, groups were formed and the writing began. While the writing and rehearsing went on, Kristin toiled away making all the costumes from scratch. I’m proud to say, with the complete objectivity of a husband, that they’re truly spectacular.
Marcus, who played a mischievous monkey, loved acting. Just before the performance, over breakfast, he said, “Daddy, I feel two feelings. I’m excited to be in the play. And, I’m scared. So I really want to go and I don’t want to go.” I told him that it was perfectly natural. But the first thing he said when he saw Kristin after the play was “That was fun!”
Yesterday was the day of the performance, and nearly everyone on the island came to watch. After the performance, dinner was served cafeteria style. The entire production — from creation, preparation to performance — involved the entire island community. And that’s something we’d never see in Boston.
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Awesome! and i’m sure everyone will remember that performance long after they’ve forgotten every hundred-million-dollar hollywood blockbuster they’ve ever seen. There’s something extra special about a live performance, something even better about a really small, intimate live performance when you know the cast members. By the way, is Marcus the kid in the bottom photo facing the wrong way? Pretty funny…
Yes Marcus is the goof-ball mooning the audience.
Perfection is boring. I remember reading a book on music. When you hit every note exactly on beat, the music sounds awful. These intimate performances definitely have a lot of emotional punch.
Charming story and gorgeous costumes !!!
Thanks!
How I’m happy about you, Winston, and all of you! That is really life worth activity. It remember me my children. When they studied at music school every year they did almost the same:-)
Not all the school students but many from 1 to 8 classes wrote musical performances and played and sang them themselves.
Christine did beautiful costumes!
Congratulations!!!
Thank you.
Wish we’d been there to see the final performance but was a great honour to see the dress rehearsal. What a wonderful effort! Hope Marcus gets chance to show off his dancing skills again soon.
Still acclimatising to being back home. Thanks again for fantastic time with you all. What a beautiful place.
Zillah
It was great to host you, people who would appreciate this place as much as we do. And the kids played so well together.
When we go back home in July, I can’t imagine what the “acclimatizing” would be like for us after a year.
This is fantastic, Winston. I really love the face-paint, with all the expressions and colors. What an experience you guys are having. :)