'Egyptian Play' a 30-Year Tradition
On November 20, Shore's third grade staged The Famous Egyptians Club, a new, original musical production that continues a tradition dating back 30 years.
The "Egyptian Play," as it has always been known, was first performed around 1985, when Grade 3 teacher Sam Hamlin and his then co-teacher Anita Barbato decided they would each stage a short play about Egypt.
Hamlin recalls, "It was my first year in third grade, Anita's second. That year we were changing the social studies curriculum, and we decided to focus on Egypt in the fall."
He notes that Alison McMaster Preacher, a current Kindergarten parent, was a student in his class at the time, and so performed in the very first "Egyptian Play."
Hamlin continues, "What I mostly remember is that for Anita's play, they were going to mummify someone. The father of one of her students owned a funeral home, and he arranged for the delivery of a gurney on the day of the play, so they could roll in the body to be 'mummified.' However, when a hearse pulled up to deliver the gurney, there was quite a bit of furor on campus."
Back
The "Egyptian Play," as it has always been known, was first performed around 1985, when Grade 3 teacher Sam Hamlin and his then co-teacher Anita Barbato decided they would each stage a short play about Egypt.
Hamlin recalls, "It was my first year in third grade, Anita's second. That year we were changing the social studies curriculum, and we decided to focus on Egypt in the fall."
He notes that Alison McMaster Preacher, a current Kindergarten parent, was a student in his class at the time, and so performed in the very first "Egyptian Play."
Hamlin continues, "What I mostly remember is that for Anita's play, they were going to mummify someone. The father of one of her students owned a funeral home, and he arranged for the delivery of a gurney on the day of the play, so they could roll in the body to be 'mummified.' However, when a hearse pulled up to deliver the gurney, there was quite a bit of furor on campus."
The tradition continued in the early years with each class producing their own short play. Soon, though, they joined forces to create the grand spectacle that we know today, addressing many different topics in Egyptian history.
Hamlin explains, "Sometimes it's been about a pharaoh, sometimes about the gods. Frequently we've had mummifications. Once we had giant puppets and another time it was a musical of sorts. When we can, we like to tie into some exhibit we might be going to see."
This year's play, The Famous Egyptians Club, takes as its jumping-off point the figure of Ankhaf. Says Hamlin, "Recently discovered papyri confirm Ankhaf's role in the building of the Giza pyramids, and the Museum of Fine Arts has a fabulous bust of him. When we visit the museum after Thanksgiving, students will know something about this man when they look him in the eye."
This year's play also includes an all-cast performance of "Walk Like an Egyptian," a historically accurate 'mummification,' an ancient Egyptian version of "Dancing with the Stars," a rap battle, and a star turn by "funky" King Tut.
Hamlin explains, "Sometimes it's been about a pharaoh, sometimes about the gods. Frequently we've had mummifications. Once we had giant puppets and another time it was a musical of sorts. When we can, we like to tie into some exhibit we might be going to see."
This year's play, The Famous Egyptians Club, takes as its jumping-off point the figure of Ankhaf. Says Hamlin, "Recently discovered papyri confirm Ankhaf's role in the building of the Giza pyramids, and the Museum of Fine Arts has a fabulous bust of him. When we visit the museum after Thanksgiving, students will know something about this man when they look him in the eye."
This year's play also includes an all-cast performance of "Walk Like an Egyptian," a historically accurate 'mummification,' an ancient Egyptian version of "Dancing with the Stars," a rap battle, and a star turn by "funky" King Tut.
Costumes and props are reused year after year, and the rest of the time many serve as decorations in the third grade classrooms. Another staple, says Hamlin, is the "Egyptian Cheer."
"It's something I learned from a coworker at a camp before I came to Shore. It seemed like an appropriate way to celebrate once the play was done, and so every year since, we've always worked the Cheer in somewhere. Now there are an awful lot of Shore grads who start clapping their thighs when they year, 'Let's have another Egyptian Cheer...'"
"It's something I learned from a coworker at a camp before I came to Shore. It seemed like an appropriate way to celebrate once the play was done, and so every year since, we've always worked the Cheer in somewhere. Now there are an awful lot of Shore grads who start clapping their thighs when they year, 'Let's have another Egyptian Cheer...'"
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Egyptian Play 2015
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Mummification is a staple of the Egyptian Play.
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The play focuses on the historical figure of Ankhaf.
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Third graders play Sam Hamlin and his co-teacher Anne Babcock.
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The cast performs "Walk Like an Egyptian."
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