Elementary schoolers perform ‘Snow White’

Feb 9, 2022

One poison apple, five heigh-hoing dwarves and many students in face shields came together for the first performance on the stage in the new Wareham Elementary School’s cafetorium.

About a dozen students in Wareham Public Schools Office of Beyond School Time CARE program put on a performance of “Snow White” at the new elementary school Wednesday afternoon. Students dressed up as dwarves and royalty, face shields included, for the program’s first live indoor show in years.

Drama teacher and director Jane Petracca said the students had rehearsed since October for Wednesday afternoon’s performance. Between the start of rehearsals and the show though, interruptions like moving into the new elementary school, heavy snow and the pandemic cut into the kids’ rehearsal time, she said.

But the students pulled it off, even after a few had to fill in and perform double roles throughout the play. The stepmother, Petracca said, had to learn her lines quickly after another student left, though the new stepmother managed to say her lines with sass and draw laughter from the audience.

Petracca said she’s been managing this drama program since 2006.

“I’ve been doing it a long time,” she said, moments after accepting a flower bouquet for her work.

Audience member and mother Rebecca DeNardo came to watch her son, third grader Carter, perform as one of the five dwarves.

“At first he was really nervous, and then he got more comfortable,” she said of Carter’s feelings leading up to the performance. “It’s definitely been a big deal. We practiced our lines this week.”

Wednesday afternoon’s show was the first theater performance Carter had ever been in, his mother said, and the family brought him flowers for after the show.

DeNardo said she helped remind Carter that being anxious before a big performance is par for the course.

“I had to keep reminding him that that’s like, really really normal. Everyone gets nervous, even famous people get nervous.”