“I know you are only a tiny little girl, but there is some kind of magic in you”
-Miss Honey, “Matilda” by Roald Dahl.
Do you remember the moment that you discovered your passion? The moment where something inside you clicked and you knew exactly what you wanted to spend your life doing? For me, it was when I was in 6th grade, and my drama group entered the theatre where we were going to perform for the first time. We had been rehearsing in a different building, and then the great day arrived where we were introduced to the theatre. The set was built, the costumes were hung up, the lights were illuminating the stage, beckoning and drawing me in. It was a tiny theatre that used to be a barn, but the magic of that space was undeniable. That was the moment my life felt right. That was the moment I felt like the magic inside me was unlocked, and I knew that I was going to spend the rest of my life making that magic.
Matilda the Musical is a show about magic. How does Matilda tip the cup over? How does the ghost write on the chalkboard? How do we create that magic for the audience to experience it as well? The collective gasps and wide eyes from the audience as everyone thinks, “how did they do that?” is certainly exciting!
But there is also magic that happens behind the scenes. When a child tries on a costume for the first time and suddenly connects with their character. When they feel the stage lights on their face and see nothing but specs of dust against the bright light as everything else fades to black. When parents see their child standing center stage and belting out a solo. When actors take a bow and hear the thunderous applause from people who love them. There is magic in all of those moments.
Theatre is powerful. Everyone in this performance tonight has experienced that magic. For some students, this may have simply been a fun experience that gets checked off their list of cool new things to try. For others, it may have been as life changing as it was for me all those years ago. No matter how much they felt the pull of the theatre, it was an absolute honor to create this magic with your students. I hope you feel it, too.
“You seemed so far away," Miss Honey whispered, awestruck.
"Oh, I was. I was flying past the stars on silver wings," Matilda said. "It was wonderful.”
-Roald Dahl, "Matilda"
-Rachel Bratt, Middle School Drama Director
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