Sideways Stories from Wayside School holds a very special place in my heart. When I first encountered this play, I fell in love with the topsy-turvy nature of the story and its characters. It has long been a dream of mine to direct this piece and I am so grateful to the Wilson Middle School community for allowing me to do so with this extraordinary cast and crew.
While this story may be whimsical, it has been important to us that our Wayside School doesn’t feel disconnected from our reality. After all, the challenges the characters face, and the joys and successes they experience, are not dissimilar from those of the students here at Wilson Middle School. Yes, everything at Wayside School is just a bit sideways, but adolescence and school can feel that way sometimes for everyone, even for teachers.
For me, this play acknowledges what can happen when young people celebrate one another’s differences and work together. On the first day of rehearsal, I asked the cast and crew to reflect on the word “ensemble.” The word “ensemble” is of French origin and means “together.” Theatre is an inherently collaborative and interdisciplinary art form. We – the cast, crew and faculty working on this production – spoke throughout the process about the importance of ensemble and how this concept applies not only to our work as actors and crew members, but also to the characters in the story. The characters are able to succeed in this topsy-turvy world thanks to the support and care they offer one another.
We made the decision to double cast this show in order to expand performance opportunities to as many students as possible. Throughout this process, I had the pleasure of seeing students from opposite casts supporting each other: running lines together as they waited for the bus, watching each other rehearse on days they were not called and having in-depth conversations about their carefully crafted character backstories. It has been an absolute joy to witness these students embrace the ideas of collaboration and ensemble.
Likewise, I feel very lucky to have been able to collaborate with some amazing adults on this production. To Mrs. Pogarian, Mr. Davies and Mr. Ballard, thank you for helping us bring this story to life. Thank you for your dedication to this art form and to mentoring these students. I am deeply grateful for the hours and hours of hard work you all put into making this show as playful and as special as it is.
Thank you for being here and for supporting live theatre. We hope you enjoy the show!
With Gratitude,
Zoe Nadal
