Milton Academy - Yearbook (Milton, MA)

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DRAMA ' : Tradition, Innovation Hold Milton Stage The year in drama proved to be one of both tradition and in- novation. From Schisgal to Shakespeare, Milton heralded per- formances of a broad range and va- riety. Leaving Milton to complete her dissertation, Ms. Carol Banks planned some exciting produc- tions for her final year. The fall play constituted a change from the normal procedure of having one full-length play being performed. Ms. Banks, instead, chose to direct two one-act plays, The Pushcart Peddlers by Murray Schisgal and Hello Out There by William Saroyan. As a refreshing change, 44 studio was used instead of Wigg for the performances, lending a closed-in atmosphere appropriate to the nature of the plays. In both plays, a definite mood was created by the cast and setting, aptly hold- ing the audience's attention with style and flair. Cindy Karter and Ioe Toot in Hello Out There gave notable performances, as did Dave Horowitz and Chris Lemley in The Pushcart Peddlers. Continuing his tradition of directing energetic, well-acted plays and well-attended perfor- mances, Mr. Zilliax produced yet another smash success in the fall playreading, The Matchmaker by Thornton Wilder. With a large and talented cast, the day succeeded in keeping the audience in constant roars of laughter. Imported from the Admissions Office, intern Scott Carneal played a staunch and foreboding Horace Vandergilder. Brad Cover was extremely amus- ing as the nervous clerk Cornelius Hackle, while Hope Nye played the vivacious Dolly Levi with flair. As a whole, the play was full of energy, unity, and an impeccable sense of timing so necessary for a successful comedy. It is truly a marvel how with only eight to ten rehearsals prior to performance, such engaging playreadings can be

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weekly meetings. In addition to supporting a nuclear freeze, STOP's objectives include allow- ing students to discuss their views and to educate themselves and others about the nuclear issue. Swett says, It lets students know that they have a voice and that change is possible. S.T.A.R.T., Students and Teachers for Arms Race Technolo- gy, is an organization which was established at Milton in November of 1982 by Robert Cunha and Ed- ward Shugrue. At this time START supports arms for deterrence as a solution to the nuclear problem. Members would support a bilater- al freeze between the United States and the Soviet Union if each coun- try would allow the other to verify that it is honoring the agreement. Although the United States would permit the Soviets to run such veri- fication checks, the Soviet Union is reluctant to authorize them. Cur- rently, START is headed by Shug- rue, has 52 members, holds biweekly meetings and is organiz- ing a vertical file for the library. X W . . . .. '.zi'I'-T5 ' fp .-' 31' 3,,:1,.igg A 1:4-,Q-1-. J CHRONICLE In the fall of 1983 Channel 5's Chronicle team, headed by co-host Ieanne Blake, arrived here in search of the true Milton Academy. The program on which Milton appeared revolved around special education, showing a small parochial grade school, an acceler- ated program at a public school, and the cream of the crop of pri- vate prep schools. Although the exposure may have, according to one student, been good for recruiting new stu- dents and may have done a lot to make Milton the ideal place to go, the segment on Milton got mixed reviews. No student could possi- bly deny that here hard work is a fact of life and most are highly motivated. In an atmosphere of such high scholastic achievement and competition it is difficult to sit back and watch idly. A 12:1 stu- dent-to-teacher ratio must be an 'teducator's dream. The teachers have a much better chance to relate to the student as an individual. Another good point that the pro- gram did touch upon was the di- versity of the student body. As observed by one foreign exchange student, Milton does have 'tall kinds of religious and ethnic groups. On the other hand, however, the majority of Milton students felt MA'S assets were overshadowed by the emphasis on what a breeze it is for us to get into college and how snobbish we are. According to Ms. Blake, being a Milton graduate vir- tually assures acceptance at the college of your choice. Watching the show, one perplexed student wondered, Why then has my mother been wasting two years of her life being terrified that I won't get into college? Contrary to what the Chronicle team may have be- lieved, many parents send their children to Milton for other reasons besides the guaranteed ac- ceptance to a top-notch college at the end of the line - for exam- ple, an excellent high school edu- cation. Although the tone and self- applied pressures here are all geared towards college atten- dance, we are constantly being re- minded that personal effort, work and knowledge are more impor- tant than grades. The worst part of the show seemed to be Ms. Blake's pro- nounced interest in snobs. She asked one student, Are the rich kids more snobbish? There is no relevance to the program's theme in this query. One student thought 'fthe questions themselves seemed to imply that Milton was snob- bish , a similar view was that ev- ery question led to the final answer 'Milton is a snobbish high school. ' With such a limited focus it's hard to imagine how any of MA,s numerous assets could have shown through. Fortunately a few did and as for those that didn't, we who work, live, and play here know all too well what the Chroni- cle team missed. 43

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produced. Comedy seemed to be the Min thing this year, as Ms. Banks chose for her winter play Oscar Wilde's Lady Windermere's Fan. An elaborate set and stunning cos- tumes transformed Straus into a glittering spectacle. The rather narrow stage which spanned length- wise across the room was deco- rated by a huge red fan. No expla- nation of the symbolism is neces- sary. The use of areas off-stage was quite well-handled. A porch was devised to the left of the stage, where the timid and forlorn girl, acted by Melinda Gray, was all too often sent by her overpowering mother, portrayed by Tracy Shupp. The upper balconies were put to full use: the members of the cast looked on at the action from above when not in the scene. The cast performed admirably, catch- ing the nuances of Wilde's satire well. Mark Rodgers and Kathy Iackson as Lord and Lady Winder- mere played their roles with great competence, Chris Cabot gave his Lord Darlington a refreshing wit as well as depth. This dimension was also shown in the performances of Tracy Shupp and Melinda Gray who were superbly amusing, yet had the character depth behind the jovial exterior. William Shakespeare is certain- ly not a new playwright to the Mil- ton stageg however, the winter playreading, Macbeth, was a new experience in the traditional. Pro- ducing such a widely-read play is certainly a risk. With nearly every student and faculty member hav- ing read Macbeth, the actors and director had to try to live up to many pre-conceptions and imaginations. Not only does the audience expect a lot from a Shakespeare performance, but also the script itself demands a lot from the actors. To adequately portray Banquo or Lady Macduff or Mac- beth is a formidable task in itself. Despite such potential disadvan- tages, Macbeth was an innovative and well-acted production. Mr. Dregalla's timpani playing pro- vided the atmosphere for the per- formance: announcing the pres- ence of Duncan, foreshadowing impending doom, or creating a frenzied backdrop for the witches. With a cast of experienced actors, the play was marked by perform- ances of extraordinary depth of character. Amy Zilliax, Holly Cates, and Hope Nye were won- derfully wicked as the three witch- es. Clayton Nemrow, Kakie Andrews, and Brad Cover power- fully acted the imposing roses of Macbeth, Lady Macbeth, and Ban- quo respectively, giving the play energy, tension, and unity. The dynamic event of the year, the Class IV play, was, to no one's surprise, an imaginative produc- tion and a great success. This year, Mr. Buono chose Dark ofthe Moon by Howard Richardson and Wil- liam Berney. In a class of so many talented performers, the play appropriately had a large cast, in- cluding the maximum number of students possible. Music, special effects, and fine acting were all present. The set, a huge mountain, was easily transformed into a witchis haunt by eerie blue light- ing and smoke, or a general store by dropping the front of the moun- tain down onto the stage. The en- semble performance was, as usual, superb. Group scenes were realis- tic, full of energy and life, and al- ways had a touch of humor. The actors were always in character, interacting with each other at all times, an obvious result of months of hard work and fine direction. The music both on and off stage gave the play life and atmosphere. Raffi Hermann on the fiddle and Holly Duncan on the guitar as well as the cast's singing various gospel 45