It is certain that all school activities are altered in one way or another this school year. This is no different for The Nutcracker, one of Flint Hill’s most popular annual theater productions, which involves faculty members and students from junior kindergarten through the twelfth grade. This school year, The Nutcracker is available to view online with the help of the Upper School Film Program. On Wednesdays, while some students like to sleep in, students involved in the play rehearse in the Upper School Gym. Performers and dancers alike gather in front of the green screen and wear masks as a part of their costumes. Each scene only has two to three performers as a safety precaution. When the cameras capture the performance, the film students will stitch it together with winter-themed backgrounds, color grading, and special effects. Just before winter break, they released the First Act of The Nutcracker. And as most of us dove into the holiday spirit and spent the New Year resting in the comfort of our homes, each individual of The Nutcracker production worked tirelessly to bring us the rest of the play. Two weeks ago, they released the full production. 

When asked about The Nutcracker, Senior Rowan Kelley, one of the play’s student directors, said, “We just finished and released The Nutcracker two weeks ago. Many people liked it, and it shines a lot of light on the various art programs in the Upper School.”

Kelley also shared some insights on the performance part of the production, “In particular, the dancers did an outstanding job. Some students had never danced with their partners before because they attended online school, yet, they were still able to pull through when we performed in-person. Ms. Mrykalo also did a very impressive job, and we can see how she had to think outside of the box and push new boundaries for this whole production to work.”

Lastly, Kelley spoke about his experience during the production, “With regards to the film side of it, we learned a lot through editing this play.  It’s thirty-four minutes long, so Morgan, Bennett, and I were editing about twenty shots each. Using those skills from The Nutcracker, we are now putting together three short films. I believe that Flint Hill is going to have powerful alumni in film since many of us are interested in pursuing a career in the industry. And most importantly, I’m glad that people liked it, and our work is being viewed.”

If it weren’t for the hard work and dedication of students from each program, there wouldn’t be any theatre production for us to enjoy this winter. All in all, it is delightful to see aspiring art students pursue what they want and be the beacon of light in someone’s darkness during this time of crisis. This year’s experimental approach will undoubtedly yield insights about future plays and provide a memorable experience for those involved. Here is the link to The Nutcracker, if you haven’t watched it already!