To say Caroline Mackenzie is getting to be an expert at staging a middle school theatre production is an understatement.
The Colquitz fine arts teacher is directing and handling various other responsibilities for B次元官网网址ies, her 39th production since arriving at the school in 2004. On the day she spoke to Black Press Media, she tackled a job akin to wrangling cats B次元官网网址� choreographing a fight scene with 70 student actors on stage at once.
B次元官网网址淵ou have to take fight choreography really slowly and carefully. ThereB次元官网网址檚 a preparation for each action and a follow-through for each action. What the audience doesnB次元官网网址檛 realize is theyB次元官网网址檙e all doing the exact same thing, just at different times,B次元官网网址� she said.
ItB次元官网网址檚 all in a dayB次元官网网址檚 work for this enthusiastic educator, who truly appears to love what she does and the people she gets to do it with.
B次元官网网址淭heyB次元官网网址檙e pretty awesome kids,B次元官网网址� she said of the current group of Grade 5 to 7 students. B次元官网网址淚 am the luckiest teacher on the planet to be able to work with these creative, enthusiastic bundles of energy.B次元官网网址�
Being around all that middle schooler energy might seem overwhelming to many teachers, but Mackenzie has a secret weapon: B次元官网网址淚 have a bell that I ring to get the students to freeze and refocus.B次元官网网址�
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This particular production has 82 students involved, including those working on sets, lighting and other non-acting roles. Mackenzie said this yearB次元官网网址檚 stage crew, guided by University of Victoria student Rick Clough, is among the most talented she has worked with at Colquitz.
B次元官网网址淭heyB次元官网网址檝e learned how to program a lighting board, how to do sound and construct sets,B次元官网网址� she said, adding that theatre brings out, for some children, previously untapped talents. B次元官网网址淭hey can really find themselves B次元官网网址� itB次元官网网址檚 really wonderful to see.B次元官网网址�
Given her longtime dedication to childrenB次元官网网址檚 theatre, it seems appropriate that Mackenzie is at the helm for B次元官网网址ies junior B次元官网网址� featuring shorter scenes and songs, for younger actors. Not only does 2022 mark 10 years since B次元官网网址ies debuted on Broadway, Colquitz is the first school in Canada to mount the repackaged version of the book, which has been adjusted to address diversity, gender equity on stage and accessibility for students with physical disabilities.
The shows, scheduled to run May 31 and June 1, 3 and 4 at 7:30 p.m. at Spectrum Community School theatre, mark a return to the high school venue for the first time since pre-pandemic. While theyB次元官网网址檝e run shows out of the much smaller Colquitz theatre room this year, those were at 50 per cent capacity, whereas this one will be 100 per cent seating availability.
Tickets for B次元官网网址ies are $10 for all ages, available online at or at the school, 505 Dumeresq St. in Saanich.
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