Lower School Explores the Origins of Storytelling in Series of One-Act Plays

February 3-4 2023 — “Storytelling is as intrinsic to the fabric of human life as breathing,” shared Rainier Pearl-Styles, director of Winsor’s Lower School Play, 4000 Years of Storytelling. “Since we’ve existed, we’ve told stories. From cave drawings to oral traditions to books to movies to TikToks, we’ve told stories.” Storytelling, then, and retelling across time, became the common thread between the three stories presented Friday and Saturday evening in the Clark Tandon Drama Studio in the Lower School production of three one-act plays: Mummu by Kirk Shimono, Wild Strawberries by Jerry Ayers, and The Salted Caramel Show, an original production written by the students in the show.

Moving somewhat chronologically, the cast accompanied the audience on the journey through three very different settings and interpretations of theater. Mummu, the Mesopotamian deity of engineering (portrayed by Livia Bene ’29) also serves as the narrator of our first one-act, offering a retelling of the Enuma Elish, the Babylonian creation story. The small cast features anthropomorphic objects: a reed (Cody Villanueva ’28), a feather from an ibis (Maysa Atassi ’29), and parts of a cow intestine (Chloe Wu ’28 and Sarah Finkelstein ’28) who, together, fulfill a divine purpose. Each of the characters explore their dreams and aspirations about what they could be. Drawn together to form an arrow, the characters experience a new purpose through their transformation. As Feather tells Reed, “sometimes what’s coming next is better than what you had before.” Despite its mythological origin, this short drama resonates with contemporary audiences in its retelling and treatment of abstract themes. 

Ushering in some color and whimsical energy, Wild Strawberries by Jerry Ayers is a hilarious play about disguises, mistaken identities, inheritance, love, and the delights of a good meal. Set in 1700s Italy and adapted from Carlo Goldoni’s earlier play The Servant of Two Masters and loosely based in the commedia dell’arte tradition, Wild Strawberries unfolds as Truffledina (Clara Humphrey ’28), maid to Nikolette diNikolai (Lilac Nguyen ’28), is interrupted by her mistress just as she is about to have breakfast and must accompany her on a stealthy journey into the city. Nikolette, under the guise of her supposedly dead brother Nikolas diNikolai, intends to take care of legal business and secure her inheritance for herself. Inevitably, confusion abounds among the townspeople, declarations of love are made, and disguises are nearly revealed. 

As the drama plays out, Truffledina becomes increasingly more hungry and impatient. By the end of the spectacle (following some sword fights and water pistol duels), Truffledina is finally able to indulge in a strawberry trifle, and everyone appears to get what they wanted. 

Characters are dressed as everyday townspeople and aristocrats, with Truffledina standing out in brightly-colored blue and yellow clothing. The drama does not take itself too seriously, and is occasionally self-referential — at one moment, the action is paused as one of the townspeople references a script, seemingly aware that they are characters in a play.

The final drama seems to take place sometime in the present-day, but is also, like the others, ultimately, a story about stories. The Salted Caramel Show, with a script written by Winsor students, explores popular fairy tales and their meanings under the umbrella of a talk show through interviews with professionals, a classroom visit, and a gameshow, with the characters imagining alternate endings and writing their own tales. In one segment of the show, “fanmail from viewers,” cast members share their own experiences with fairy tales and what makes them important personally, breaking the fourth wall to speak to the audience. 

Winsor would like to extend a thank you to the crew of the show, Director Rainier Pearl-Styles, Technical Director Andres Puigbo, Costume Designer Jessica Pribble, Theater Director Jeremy Johnson, and Head of Performing Arts Felicia Brady-Lopez. 

Congratulations to the cast and crew!