This year’s long-awaited fall play came back to KO after a brief hiatus, seeing as COVID-19 prevented the 2020 production from taking place. This poetic experience, entitled “Poems that Wander: Moving With Tracy K. Smith,” was intricate and interesting for poetry-lovers. A lot of time and effort went into producing the fall play not only from the performers themselves, but also from those working backstage as well.
English teacher Mela Frye is this year’s Symposium teacher. Last spring, Mrs. Frye and Theater Director Kyle Reynolds brainstormed ways to turn Tracy K. Smith’s work into the fall play. “I’ve never really done much with theater and dance,” Mrs. Frye said. “It was fun to work with the students and learn about the theater and dance world.”
Mrs. Frye explained that she and Mr. Reynolds chose the poems and had a local choreographer, Lauren Horn, work with the actors to choreograph movement and dancing to the poems. Each section of the play had different elements: gravel, sand, water, and grass, corresponding with the element that best embodied the energy of the poem being performed.
Six Symposium students participated in the fall play. The play, being based on the Symposium author’s work, allowed Mrs. Frye’s students to gain a deeper understanding of her work through the poems they performed. “To watch them step out of their comfort zone, try something new, take that risk, take on extra responsibilities in a super busy senior fall, and watch them just engage with [Smith’s] work outside of the classroom…was really cool,” Mrs. Frye said.
Senior Sam Merkatz performed in the fall play and is also in Mrs. Frye’s Tracy K. Smith Symposium class. Sam said he joined the fall play because it allowed him to further his study of Tracy K. Smith. “It seemed like an unorthodox method of deepening my Symposium studies, which immediately piqued my interest,” he said. “Being a Symposium student has granted me a greater degree of understanding that enhanced both my performance and the way I regarded the other performances.”
Sam especially enjoyed the performance aspect of the fall play and getting to know everyone. “What I liked most was the tight bonds the performers created.” In addition to preparing for the fall play, Sam also was a member and captain of the varsity cross country team. He said that good time management helped him balance homework, sports, and the fall play. “I simply made sure I managed my work well,” he said.
Freshman Zaire Ramiz also performed in the fall play. “I signed up for the fall play because I love acting, and I thought it would be a really good experience,” he said. “A lot of my friends signed up too, and it was a great time.”
Zaire thought that the fall play made him a better actor, as it was very different from other experiences he has had in the past. “I have a bit of experience with poetry, but I have never done a play or black box theater production,” he said. “The way that it was executed by our director, tech team, and by us actors made it a really special experience. It was something different and it was an experience that I’ll be able to take into my acting in the future.”
