Grade 6 Entertains with Comedy 'Paper or Plastic?'
February 23 and 24, Grade 6 winter drama students presented the grocery store comedy Paper or Plastic?, by Werner Trieschmann.
Watch the video of the full play.
The zany one-act tells the story of teenage Sarah, who is excited about her new job as a cashier at Puritan Foods, her local grocery store. But she quickly discovers she isn't quite ready for the cast of off-the-wall characters she encounters in the course of her first day: assistant manager Carl refuses to deal with unruly customers; local hippies argue incessantly about the environmental impact of paper vs. plastic bags; a mysterious cowboy never buys more than a grape; and a team of cart-hunting co-workers wear camouflage as they round up stray carts.
Sixth graders had audiences of all ages laughing out loud with their production. "These students worked incredibly hard to put on the best show they could," said co-director and Spanish teacher Gretchen Bowder, who worked with third grade teacher Anne Babcock to direct the play.
"They practiced daily and on several evenings and weekends as the production date drew near," said Bowder. "In addition to memorizing their lines, remembering their entrances and exits, and speaking loudly enough for audiences to hear them, these students were notable for their sense of teamwork and ensemble. They were kind and supportive of one another, coaching each other through tricky scenes and contributing innumerable suggestions and ideas to the play, including parts where we jointly rewrote the script in order to accommodate the particulars of our cast."
The result was an almost surreal experience, with many memorable moments: the store's announcer tells increasingly outlandish tales over the public address system as her outfits, and colorful wigs, grow ever more bizarre; the veteran cashier, Regina, finds more and more elaborate ways to avoid doing even the smallest bit of work; the cowboy steals the scene with his inexplicable Western attire and vernacular; and an ordinary-looking woman goes from practicing yoga in the checkout line to communicating with an alien spaceship about a meeting with the President.
"Sixth grade students in general are an ebullient bunch," said Bowder, "and each and every one of these students brought an abundance of creativity to the process. The details they added brought their characters to life and added so many humorous moments to our show. The actors were especially gratified that their show elicited laughter from everyone, from the youngest children at Shore right on up through the adults in the community. It was a wonderful experience for everyone, fostering connections and a lasting warmth among all involved."
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Watch the video of the full play.
The zany one-act tells the story of teenage Sarah, who is excited about her new job as a cashier at Puritan Foods, her local grocery store. But she quickly discovers she isn't quite ready for the cast of off-the-wall characters she encounters in the course of her first day: assistant manager Carl refuses to deal with unruly customers; local hippies argue incessantly about the environmental impact of paper vs. plastic bags; a mysterious cowboy never buys more than a grape; and a team of cart-hunting co-workers wear camouflage as they round up stray carts.
Sixth graders had audiences of all ages laughing out loud with their production. "These students worked incredibly hard to put on the best show they could," said co-director and Spanish teacher Gretchen Bowder, who worked with third grade teacher Anne Babcock to direct the play.
"They practiced daily and on several evenings and weekends as the production date drew near," said Bowder. "In addition to memorizing their lines, remembering their entrances and exits, and speaking loudly enough for audiences to hear them, these students were notable for their sense of teamwork and ensemble. They were kind and supportive of one another, coaching each other through tricky scenes and contributing innumerable suggestions and ideas to the play, including parts where we jointly rewrote the script in order to accommodate the particulars of our cast."
The result was an almost surreal experience, with many memorable moments: the store's announcer tells increasingly outlandish tales over the public address system as her outfits, and colorful wigs, grow ever more bizarre; the veteran cashier, Regina, finds more and more elaborate ways to avoid doing even the smallest bit of work; the cowboy steals the scene with his inexplicable Western attire and vernacular; and an ordinary-looking woman goes from practicing yoga in the checkout line to communicating with an alien spaceship about a meeting with the President.
"Sixth grade students in general are an ebullient bunch," said Bowder, "and each and every one of these students brought an abundance of creativity to the process. The details they added brought their characters to life and added so many humorous moments to our show. The actors were especially gratified that their show elicited laughter from everyone, from the youngest children at Shore right on up through the adults in the community. It was a wonderful experience for everyone, fostering connections and a lasting warmth among all involved."
Shore Country Day School’s mission is to provide an education that inspires a love of learning and encourages children to embrace academic challenge. We seek to build character, cultivate creativity, and value diversity as we help our children become healthy, compassionate citizens of the world.
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