Middle School Play "The Enchanted Bookshop" Reminds Us of the Joy of Reading

 

It didn’t take long during a visit to Tuesday’s dress rehearsal for this weekend’s Middle School performances of The Enchanted Bookshop to understand where the play got its name.

 

Wandering around McCallie’s cozy Black Box Theater were a perfectly outfitted Robin Hood (McCallie 8th grader Siler Nance), Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz (GPS 7th grader Mary Margaret Scruggs), and Tom Sawyer (McCallie 6th grader Jacob Loiodice).

 

Other classic characters represented included Pollyanna, Sherlock Holmes, Alice in Wonderland, and Doctor Doolittle.

 

“And,” added director Rachel Craig, “much more if you look closely.”

 

Like so many other collaborative productions between GPS and McCallie, it’s a big cast, some 52 students who will perform four shows total on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights at 7 p.m. with a 2:30 p.m. matinee performance on Sunday.

 

 “I have a strong appreciation for ensemble-driven plays in which a group of characters collaboratively strives toward a shared objective,” said Craig. “This story offers a touching and uplifting narrative, thoughtfully reminding audiences of the enduring joy of reading, particularly in today’s screen-dominated age.”

 

Nance has acted in five MS plays prior to playing Robin Hood. Asked what appealed to him about this play, he said, “I like a challenge and I like his outfit.”

 

And does he rob from the rich and give to the poor in the play? “No,” he said, “but those words slip in there a couple of times.”

 

For a 7th grader, Scruggs is a remarkably seasoned actor, having performed in 10 plays total, including four at GPS. 

 

“The play incorporates a lot of characters from different books,” Scruggs said. “Everybody knows who Dorothy is, but I’ve been able to make her my own and bring the character to life.”

 

As for Loiodice, who’s appearing in his first McCallie play, he says of Craig, “She gives fair roles to fair people. The Tom Sawyer character matches my personality. Everybody has a different personality type and (Craig) is good at figuring out who would be good in what role.”

 

That’s certainly true of Margie, the bookshop owner played by GPS 8th grader Payton Sprouse.

 

“She loves books and I love to read,” said Sprouse. “I read 52 books last year. Margie is a little more grounded than some of the other characters.”

 

Her favorite book? “Red Queen,” she replied. “It’s a dystopian novel by Victoria Aveyard.”

 

Craig said bringing the play to life, working 10-to-12-hour weeks since mid-January has been a labor of love.

 

“The students have consistently demonstrated remarkable creativity and enthusiasm,” she said. “Each performer has discovered distinctive ways to bring their character to life, resulting in a production rich with detail, one that reveals new moments and nuances with every viewing.”

 

Besides, as Craig said earlier, anything that will remind audiences of the joy of reading in this age of phone screens and two-paragraph social media posts, is must-see theater.