Every year at the Westminster Middle School a Fall Play performed by students opens in early November. This year’s fall play, The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe tells a story about four siblings left in the countryside. After exploring, they enter through a backless wardrobe that leads to the magical country of Narnia. While in Narnia, the siblings go through a series of dangerous adventures and a battle to save Narnia from the evil Ice Witch. Play members are excited for opening night and hope to please Middle School students, mainly since last year’s play left many mystified but confused.

The play has around 40 people participating including cast and crew members. The four featured siblings are played by Holly Johnson, Matt Miller, Anjali Menon, and Zach Wall. Other important characters include Selah Jones and Delilah Faye Chalmers playing the evil Ice Witch of Narnia and Aslan the good King of Narnia, respectively.

Last year, Westminster produced Peter and The Starcatcher for the Fall Play, a Peter Pan retelling with a complicated main plotline and about a thousand other plotlines, many of which ended unfinished. Last year’s crew members say that they had to watch it about five times before understanding the general idea, and after each viewing they reportedly learned something new. However, most audience members didn’t have the opportunity to see it more than once and unfortunately left the theater confused. Adding to this confusion, last year’s play was not as well-known compared to previous years. 

Many actors in this year’s production enjoy this year’s play better, but some of them believe that last year’s play was more comedic. Radhika Laskar, an actor in The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe, expresses that each play has its strengths. “I like the set [this year], last year’s play was funnier, the plot [this year] is more understandable than last year’s,” she says. Another cast member, Zach Wall, was overwhelmed by the complexity of last year’s production. “It was hard to follow, and didn’t make much sense,” he says. “It was complicated at times, and then at other times it was sorta just stupid.” Most students and actors agree that last year’s play, although funnier, was challenging to understand.

Although audiences struggled with an unclear plot last year, this year’s play has also had its challenges with chemistry and unity; the connection between each cast member and crew is a significant part of what makes a good play. Actor Holly Johnson emphasizes the true importance of unity between cast and crew members. “I’d say the connection between the cast and the crew, and being able to relate to the other actors, you don’t have a show if you can’t get along with and know your castmates,” she says. Actor Edward Askew-Norton struggles to find the connection that is necessary for teamwork, which is another essential component of a production, “I kind of struggle getting along with the people in the play sometimes, so it really takes me to pretend to be their friend to work as a team,” he says. As the play is set to open, the chemistry between students involved in this year’s play has been a minor problem that’s been resolved.

This year’s director, Middle School dance teacher Caroline Stewart, brings a different energy to the theatre. The director of any production makes or breaks the play, and everyone is so excited to have her this year. Stewart is organized and efficient and has an exceptional ability to connect with students. Stewart viewed last year’s performance as a member of the audience, and she claims that although she saw no significant problems, some actors could’ve spoken slower. “I remember the speed at which people said their lines was high-speed,” she says. “A note for everyone: slow down so we can hear all the wonderful words you are saying and get a better understanding of the story.” Stewart has put much effort and time into our production to make it the best possible, and our school can’t wait to see more from her in the coming years.