Tam Lin and the Faerie Queen

Shannon LeClair

Times Reporter

 

Westmount Elementary students have busy rehearsing for their upcoming roles in Tam Lin and the Faerie Queen for months. On April 3 all their hard work is going to pay off when the students are able to proudly unveil the production. The play follows the story of Tam Lin, who has been cursed by the Faerie Queen, and his desire to save Seonaid, whom he has fallen in love with.

“It’s a storyline that I could easily adapt to fit about 40 kids. So I take a story line and then write a script,” said Dana Graff, associate principal of Westmount and director of the play. 

“I don’t turn anybody down, anybody who tries out for the play gets a role.”

Graff has found over the years that when he buys the script he is always adding scenes and reworking things to make sure all of the students have a role. Now Graff finds the storyline and writes his own script.  

Graff said each production is really a community effort, with members of the staff and parents helping with building and painting the sets, getting everything organized, the costumes and the makeup.

“It just takes so many people to put it on and there’s a lot of help from staff members and volunteers,” said Graff.

Some of the students have been learning to Highland dance for some of the scenes. Originally all six or seven dance acts were going to be Highland dancing, but after realizing how hard it is to learn, it has been cut down to two dance scenes. 

Drama at Westmount is an extra curricular activity, and every year 35 to 40 students willingly give up some of their free time to rehearse and prepare for the performance. 

There will be four shows total on April 3 and 4, two matinees beginning at 1 p.m. and two evening shows beginning at 7p.m. Seniors in the community have been invited to watch the April 4 matinee for free, and enjoy a cup of tea and a treat. 

Tickets to the performance are $5 per person, and the money raised will be put towards the new playground funds.