“Four months ago you were 21 people who didn’t know each other as a group and now you’re a team.” That’s how Chris began rehearsals this week, the first time the actors took to the stage where they will perform as an ensemble this weekend before the entire community. Chris’ words speak to the process of theater: what actors learn about themselves and about each other and what they accomplish together. What’s unique about this work is that it doesn’t end after the last show. At Hyla, this work continues on: for the duration of their time at Hyla, the class will work as an ensemble, continually learning how to trust each other, take risks together, and care for the collective.

As Chris Soldevilla says, “It’s not simply about the play. It’s about accomplishing a hurdle.” Whether that hurdle is stage fright, memorizing lines, or performing in a new place, every 6th grader has overcome something to make this production happen. “Drama is about helping you realize your capabilities,” says Chris, “and that you are capable of telling a story.”

This year 6th graders have also learned a lot about flexibility. As we await construction of the new community hall that will include a performance space designed to do justice to the Hyla drama program, we are in a year without a stage on campus. Chris embraced this challenge and historical accuracy by encouraging students to see themselves as an authentic traveling troupe in Elizabethan times. The phrase “get the show on the road” became quite literal on Monday when the 6th grade packed up and headed to the Island Center Hall with just four days before the first performance.