But the script wasn’t a random creation; it was a derivative of Mozart’s “The Magic Flute” opera, a story the students had studied, seen performed and each explored in their own ways, Labinger said.
Students in the twice-weekly after-school class read stories derived from the Mozart opera, learned about the history of the 18th-century composer, wrote their own dialogues based on individual scenes, and designed costumes and set decorations before acting the play out, Labinger said.
“They got to put it into their own words with their own wonderment,” Labinger said.
“It gives them that self-confidence.”
These high-achieving students’ former teachers recommended them for the program, she said.
“There’s a lot of fairy-tale magic, things that children love to begin with,” Labinger said.
Labinger encouraged students to ad lib and personalize their lines by adding opera-like adjustments.
Instead of saying, “You must return my daughter,” Labinger encouraged second-grader Rhianne Sola to sing the line with emotion and changes in tone.
“You, you, you must return my daughter!” Labinger demonstrated.
Rhianne, 7, preferred the normal dialogue but said she would put extra work into her multiple roles in the play.
“I’m going to practice very hard until I’m getting tired,” Rhianne said. “Because we might not use scripts in our play.”
The experience of being able to act was a privilege for third-grader Wyatt Gardner, who had just finished acting as Prince Tamino in a scene where he wore a wig and remarked at a slain dragon: “Whoa! Cool!”
“You don’t get to do this kind of acting and singing and dancing every day after school,” Wyatt said.
