Fiddler on the Roof pulled in 600 for three performances at A. N. Pritzker School

Rave reviews for Fiddler on the Roof, Jr. at A.N. Pritzker School, 2009 W. Schiller, were bubbling out the doors of the newly renovated Auditorium as the audience emerged from the small Russian village of Anatevka in the early 1900s. More than 600 people attended the play during the three 90-minute performances on Mar. 23 and 24.

In the 5th all-school musical season, students auditioned in October to be part of this production.

Those chosen for the main roles, have been rehearsing ever since while the rest of the cast began rehearsing in January. The play included 36 actors, 5 musicians and 5 members of the stage crew. The youngest performers are in 2nd grade and the oldest in 8th.

"We continue to be thrilled by the developing talent we're seeing in our students of all ages," said Mrs. Jenai Jenkins, Pritzker Music Director, who conducted the orchestra. "It's exciting to be working with Pritzker students, who bring enormous talent,

passion and focus to this production," commented Nathaniel Swift, drama teacher and Director of this year's production. Professionally, Swift is the artistic Director of Eclipse Theater Company. "From the first day of rehearsals, it's been a pleasure to work with the actors, singers, dancers and backstage crew as we explore this powerful and exciting play together."

Other production staff members were

 

Mindy Schwartz, Art Director; Kai Alexander, Pianist; and Lauren Parets, Dance Choreographer

"Each year, our students' excitement builds throughout the school year and our audiences have grown larger and larger," said Dr. Joenile S. Albert Reese, Principal of Pritzker.

"These type of productions give all the students a rare experience of developing their stage skills by working with a professional director, choreographer and musicians. Older students spend hours

 

rehearsing lines, their solos and perfecting their stage skills. Younger children get an early experience being on stage. What always amazes me is that students of all levels get the opportunity to be part of everything it takes to be part of a performance," explained Debbie Roseen, the Production Business Manager.

"The renovated auditorium was WONDERFUL! With the new sound, colored lighting and videotaping screens, you forget you are at a school. Long term, Pritzker would love to become a community/performance center for other Wicker Park schools, theater groups, musicians, bands, poetry groups, dancers and other performing groups," Roseen added.

Dozens of parents were enlisted to participate in the production too. They sold tickets, were makeup artists, played in the orchestra, greeted people as ushers, made costumes, worked on set designs and created graphics. In particular, Christina Terrell, who has worked for all performances in the last 5 years, was the costume designer, Angelica Gutierrez designed the sets and Jake Stake built the village of Anatevka.

Roseen also shared one of the more cherished moments during the show which occurred when one of the youngest performers, second grader Caden Shapiro, who played the Fiddler, missed his stage exit and dashed across the stage, slid up to the curtain on his knees and stuck his bow between the curtains to get off stage.

Behind the scenes, technology also provided some challenges when some of the actors forgot to turn off their microphones after getting off stage. Dawn Butler, Zayd Puzon's mom, reports, "suddenly the audience would clearly hear someone from backstage and we were running around trying to find out who still had a live mike." Zayd, a second grader playing the role of a soldier and another actor playing a villager showed problem solving skills with a fight scene they were to have. On their own, they figured out that the "hit" the villager was to receive a from the soldier would look more realistic if the villagers hat went flying. They achieved the effect by having the villager wearing his hat loosely on his head.

The final behind-the-scenes news came from many parents who reported that their children have been singing Fiddler on the Roof songs at home. Many reported that on the weekend, they were heard singing in bed after a two-performance-day as they drifted off to sleep.

If you were part of the show, we encourage you to share your experiences here with fellow readers.