RattleBag and Rhubarb

Elephants are People Too

We know that empathy – that ability to walk around in another’s shoes – matters. We know that developing empathy is important. But how do you do that? The 4th and 5th grade put on a show last week. Not just any show for this was a play they had written themselves based on their Global Read-Aloud text The One…

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RattleBag and Rhubarb

Scoundrels alive! High school play streamed to the world

April 23rd 2010 – Shakespeare’s birthday and Poughkeepsie Day School begins live streaming Diary of a Scoundrel – Alexander Ostrovsky’s cynical play about hypocrisy and the trouble with literacy! You can see it here. Thank you David Held- for the live streaming and the videography. David assures me that it only takes half an hour or so to learn how…

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RattleBag and Rhubarb

“Because it is my name….”

Because it is my name! Because I cannot have another in my life! Because I lie and sign myself to lies! Because I am not worth the dust on the feet of them that hang! How may I live without my name? I have given you my soul; leave me my name! – John Proctor The Crucible Act IV on…

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RattleBag and Rhubarb

Never too late

Photo courtesy of Mimika Hyman It’s never too late to post a great photo of the cast of the middle school 5th/6th grade production of Arabian Nights seen on the stage of the JEJ Theater this spring. Congratulations everyone!.

RattleBag and Rhubarb

“I see the future”

Fantasy Castle in the Sky This show had it all. A cast of thousands. A three-ring circus with gorillas, clowns, trapeze artists, acrobats, strongmen, sword swallowers, a lion, a lion tamer and miniature ponies. A trip to the zoo, with a tiger, ducks, monkeys, penguins, elephants, rabbits, deer and snakes. And lots of food. But where are the zebras? The…

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RattleBag and Rhubarb

Feather of lead, bright smoke

It happened before the winter break but it would be negligent not to post on the topic of the enthralling Romeo and Juliet on stage in the JEJ Theater in December. And enthralling it was. The excellent cast – who all seemed to be having a wonderful time – had been studying, preparing and rehearsing all term and their knowledge…

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RattleBag and Rhubarb

King Kong meets Mosca Humana – the human fly

King Kong meets Mosca Humana – the human fly. Well – they don’t quite meet as they are in different plays. It was the 7th and 8th grade Scene night: Eight new student plays. King Kong on trial, pirates in love, the Human Fly seeks fame, life in the kindergarten, intravenous chocolate pudding – the miracle cure, family arguments, love…

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RattleBag and Rhubarb

Insects and Villains

If there was a villain in the Animal Tails of African Tales Lower School show it was perhaps the mosquito. Here, to provide some balance on behalf of the world of insects and their all-important place in our biospere, is biologist E.O. Wilson. His plea on behalf of his constituency – the insect world – is his acceptance speech for…

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RattleBag and Rhubarb

“Life on Earth” – an amazing multi-media musical

I had the great pleasure of attending Life on Earth – a student written, multi-media and very original musical by the students in a central studies elective. The script was impressive – witty, pointed and poignant. The modern day Olympians – from Dr. Freud and Robin Hood to Miss America, from Wonder Woman and Bacchus to Ben Franklin and all…

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RattleBag and Rhubarb

Macbeth

Earlier this month I saw a remarkable production staged in the James Earl Jones Theater at PDS: the Shakespeare Central Study Elective performance of Macbeth. The players from grades 7-12 had chosen this from a variety of electives and spent a part of each week in the fall delving into the text and preparing their production. This is an annual…

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