“The Secret in the Wings” starts off on an ominous vibe; a young girl in a nightgown (played by freshman Chloe Gutnikoff) emerges from a door on the set floor and crawls around in the dim lighting when suddenly, BAM! The door slams shuts locking the girl out.
At 7:45 on a Friday, 15 minutes before curtain call, the WIS Black Box was already ¾ full with spectators eager to see the high school play “The Secret in the Wings” . The chatter of alumni, parents, student and faculty filled the room creating an exciting buzz. Around 8:05, the lights dimmed and the full crowd silenced as a late comers trickled in and took their seats.
Set in the 1950s/60s, The Secret in the Wings is a set of original fairy tales with a comedic dark twist that is emblematic of playwright Mary Zimmerman’s style. After Chloe exits the stage, Martin Lane playing the main character Martin Lane walks down the stairs of the set in a nightgown, her pigtails bouncing up and down. She turns on the lights allowing the audience to appreciate the meticulous set depicting a typical basement for a family with children. Martin’s parents (played by Madeleine Hawkins and Alfie Pannell) walk down the stairs dressed ready to go out for the night and leave their daughter under the care of their next door neighbor, Mr. McCarthy, the ogre.
Mr. McCarthy, played by Adrienne McCarthy, shares his tales one after the other with Martin Lane and the audience as they come alive. However, each story seems to be interrupted just at the plot’s peak, fast pace keeping you mesmerized by the performance. “There’s no pause and I like it” Says Teacher Meredith Moore. Many agree with her as the fast pace keeps you on the edge of your seat.
As the Mr. McCarthy returned to unfinished tales and explaining the end, a wave of sadness fell upon the audience when they realized that this mean the play was coming to an end. The audience was thrilled by the performance and gave the cast a lengthy applause to show their appreciation: “I love it!” said freshman Milla Snow as she joined the audience in applauding.
In conclusion, the High School play was a job well done by the directors Ian LeValley and Kerri Rambow. You can tell there was a lot of hard work put behind this production. “Clever, fast-moving, witty” were the words Clayton Lewis Head of School used to describe the performance. The acting was spot on as the students were able to emphasize the latent mature humor in the script but managed to keep the theme of innocence and youthful imagination as well.
For more pictures see the WIS website
