Ater four months of rehearsal, arriving at school one hour earlier every day than the rest of their classmates to practice their lines again and again, the performance finally arrived. The Eighth Grade Play was a big hit! Forty eighth graders and one proud director beamed Thursday night, May 28, when the last bow was taken and the last of three fun-filled performances was complete.

It has been a long-standing tradition at St. John’s for the eighth grade to perform a play for the rest of the student body in late May, as the school year comes to a close. Director Stephanie Van Blarcom still remembers acting in her eighth grade play at St. John’s and, after so many years (let’s not count them), she still has her playbook as a keepsake. This year, Mrs. Van Blarcom directed her 19th cast and crew in “Sleeping Beauty Queen,” the story of a beauty queen and her friends who fell into a deep sleep when a spell was cast over all of the pageant contestants. Of course, our heroes – a boy-band named the “Charming Princes” and a kitten named “Kreekle” – saved the day with love’s true kiss after making their way through several hilarious escapades.

In addition to the fine performances delivered on stage by the eighth grade actors and actresses, there is a lot of back-stage activity that adds to the play’s success. A week before the play is performed, a group of 20 students sign up for “set building” as their “Tee Week” activity. (Tee Week is an exploratory experience offered to the St. John’s middle school students twice each year in the afternoon. The activities range from rock climbing and badminton to art classes and CPR.) This year, the set building class – led by Ron and Stephanie Van Blarcom and 7 members of the eighth grade play crew – built and decorated 5 different scenes for “Sleeping Beauty Queen.”

The play was performed in the afternoon on Tuesday, May 26, for students in kindergarten through third grade. The next afternoon, the fourth through eighth graders enjoyed the 75-minute show. The final performance was held Thursday night before all of the adoring friends and family of the cast and crew. Mark your calendar now to attend next year’s performance. Thank you 8th graders and Mr. and Mrs. Van Blarcom for all of your hard work!