From 3/4 Class Teacher Libby Case: As is the tradition in many Waldorf Schools around the world, each year class teachers at OVWS produce a play with their students that is performed for the student body and for parents and friends. It is a social art which is shared with the whole community.
The many pedagogical impulses behind this activity include:
* Class plays offer the opportunity to build the social strength of the class.
* The subject matter of the play often reinforces the curriculum content of the year.
* Identifying ones self with a character helps build empathy in students.
* Acting develops skill and capacity in students.
* The play helps strengthen the sense of independence in the whole class, as they often have to direct themselves back stage and get themselves on and off stage at appropriate times.
* Creating a play as a class involves artistry on many levels, from scenery creation, costuming, singing, and dance and movement.
* Teachers often develop or utilize the characters in the play to help address specific strengths in individual students.
Class 3/4 and 5/6 both performed for the community this month.
Class 3/4 performed a Norse Myth, “The Death of Balder, the Most Beloved of Norse Gods,” a play created by Waldorf teacher William Ward and directed by Class teacher Libby Case. Students performed in the Cloth Yurt on Campus for the student body in the morning and for more than 50 friends and relatives in the evening. It was a smashing success!
Class 5/6 performed "The Whale Rider," the story of a Maori girl who fights to fulfill her destiny as leader of her tribe. The book was written by Witi Ihimaera and adapted for the 5/6 Class into a play by their teacher Claudia Reinhardt. The students gave a fantastic performance at the Plainfield Opera House. For many of them, this was their first time performing on an actual stage.
