Spotlight on the Lower School Musical Club

The "Fun Scale": From Rehearsals to Showtime at Lower School

Over a decade ago, REI published a clever guide to the "Fun Scale." It defined Type 1 Fun as enjoyable while it’s happening, and Type 2 Fun as rewarding in retrospect—the kind of "fun" that comes from overcoming a challenge, like an ultramarathon. Our Musical Club (still affectionately called Drama Club by many) is a perfect blend of both.

Drama is Type 1 Fun when students are playing and improvising with friends; it’s satisfying and joyful in the moment. It becomes Type 2 Fun during the "grind"—the repetitive rehearsals and the discipline of memorizing lines. This delayed gratification is a vital skill for our 4th and 5th-grade actors. In many ways, rehearsals are the artistic equivalent of the scientific method: testing an acting choice, seeing it fail to get a laugh, and iterating until the "data" proves it works.

The resulting show is something our student-engineers are incredibly proud to share. Beyond the costumes and silly sound effects, theater requires trusting one's instincts and communicating with colleagues under the pressure of a live audience. This year, we have a fantastic team of returning performers: Melody, Milo, Akbar, Maddy, Maya, Colette, and Teagan. We are also excited to see Patchy and Ursula make their debut this March in our production of Disney’s The Jungle Book.

These students are working twice a week on lines and choreography to ensure their "Fun 2" effort results in a performance they can truly rub their proud pins on! Please join us in applauding their hard work!

​Special shout-out to fourth-grade parent, Ash Smith, who’s spearheading costume-making and parent volunteer coordination!