PURPLE & GOLD / 2024-25
MATILDA, JR. RESILIENCE MEETS KINDNESS
CPA Arts seeks to equip and empower students to engage and influence culture through authentic creativity, artistic excellence, and relationship with Christ.
The Arts begin at a young age at CPA in the lower school with various musical and theatrical performances, but middle school is where theater really takes wings and soars. The fall 2024 middle school production of Matilda, Jr. exemplifies how CPA Arts is guiding and training students to perform at a high level and discover their unique talents. Director and MS Theatre Instructor, Kira Buell, carried students through the rigorous weekly practices, large choral numbers and energetic choreography while weaving gospel truth through the story of Matilda. The original story written by well-known British author, Roald Dahl, is not a religious story. In fact, the author is known for his dark humor and macabre wit. However, Kira says she“ was always able to find golden nuggets of truth” to inform a Christian worldview interpretation of Matilda’ s story.
The story of Matilda begins with a little girl singing a different tune to that of other children. While other children boast and sing“ My mummy says I’ m a miracle! My daddy says I’ m his special little guy,” Matilda, played by seventh grader Amelia Mason, finds herself thinking the opposite, that“ My mummy says I’ m a lousy little worm. My daddy says I’ m a bore.” Through a series of special relationships and challenges, Matilda finds her voice. With the help of others, namely Miss Honey, played by Annabelle Wolfe, Matilda is capable of standing up for what is right. She joins with the other children at the school to rise up and sing and dance to the lines of the song,“ Revolting Children.” This bold and exuberant production finale was actually the first song the cast learned. It laid the foundation for teaching the cast what they were revolting against. They learned from the very start that they were not revolting as bad children; they were not
“ THE FALL 2024 MIDDLE SCHOOL PRODUCTION OF MATILDA, JR. EXEMPLIFIES HOW CPA ARTS IS GUIDING AND TRAINING STUDENTS TO PERFORM AT A HIGH LEVEL AND DISCOVER THEIR UNIQUE TALENTS.”
being insubordinate; they were instead standing up for the mistreatment of others and uniting for good and choosing faithfulness and kindness, thus paving the way for change to create a school founded in goodness.
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