The Sharon Academy
Travels to Land of Oz

Visitors to the Sharon Academy this week enter a school transformed from a place of relative quiet and purposeful study to a chaos of busyness as students join together to produce a full musical. This year’s show is "The Wizard of Oz," which will hit the Chandler Music Hall stage in Randolph Friday and Saturday, Nov. 16 and 17 at 7 p.m.

Rehearsals began in earnest this past Monday morning, as the math room became rehearsal space for the orchestra, English classrooms became costume shops, the large meeting area became a beehive of set building, and the gym a space for choreography. Traditional classes are suspended during this interim, as students face a full schedule of rehearsals, fittings, and all of the minutiae that goes along with a quality production.

"This is a very exciting time for the Academy," according to teacher Charlie McMeekin, who heads up the process. "The students know that they truly are responsible for the ultimate success of what we do in this time. Most of our working teams are actually headed up by students, and while staff stand by ready to help in multiple ways, this program is about educating young people to assume true leadership roles in a real-life situation."

McMeekin observes that, "It’s the ideal form of education, as there is no textbook or answer key on which to rely. Problems are real, and solutions must be found. Pressures exist, too. When you begin on Monday with nothing, and learn that your program has to be at the printers by Thursday, you simply have to come up with a plan to be successful."

"This is one of my favorite times of the year," adds head of school Michael Livingston. "The interim play is a powerful reminder of the talents we have in our student body and in our faculty. The energy output during one day of interim would do a great deal to solve our reliance on fossil fuels, if we could just find a way to harness it."

This year began on a tough note, as the school was denied the rights to produce its play of first choice just a week before classes began. A meeting with seniors to offer them an alternate date or an alternate play made clear just how significant the interim period is.

"The seniors were adamant that the interim had to happen in November, because it’s the program which builds the sense of school community they enjoy so much," said McMeekin.

First-year student Ella Hayslett of Tunbridge spent Tuesday morning collecting comments from TSA students about the interim experience.

Freshman Olivia Gudisman of Stockbridge said, "I feel privileged that I get to go to a school where we get to connect with each other through the play." Sophomore Libbie Pattison of Brookfield noted that "you see other students that are stepping up and becoming leaders."

Randolph resident Hannah McMeekin takes on the role of the scarecrow, and Lily Carter, a regular in Chandler’s Fourth of July plays, is the cowardly lion. Elissa Parent of West Windsor landed her first leading role as Dorothy, and Hanover senior Peter Kispert plays the lovable tin man.

"I can pretty safely guarantee you that this will be a Wizard of Oz unlike any you’ve seen before," promised McMeekin, who would not give away any of the surprises that are planned.

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