Pictured above: End of year play in 2017.
At Friends School of Portland, the seventh and eighth-grade play is a tradition looked forward to and fondly remembered by all. Graduates can recall the plays that their class performed. And younger kindergarten buddies spend the final weeks of the school year reenacting scenes from “Alice in Wonderland,” “Charlotte’s Web,” and “Mid-Summer Night’s Dream” to name a few. This tradition began with Lee Chisholm and his late-wife Sukie Rice. Last year, music teacher, Bethany Schmitt, and AfterCare Director, Eliza, helped bring “Alice in Wonderland” to the meeting room stage at FSP.
Pictured above: End of year play in 2022.
Many students find roles in their high school, college, and community theater programs after trying out roles in middle school here. Vi Walsh ‘21, Amelia Connor-McCoy ‘19, and Mia Pierce ‘24 shared a bit about what they have been up to since their time at FSP.
Vi Walsh ‘21 shared:
Throughout my years in FSP, I always looked up to the 7th and 8th graders and the play they put on every year. I strived to be as good as them. I’m now a senior at Greely High School and just finished a production of MAMMA MIA! Where I played Donna. I am currently auditioning for many other things like my school’s spring play “You Can’t Take It With You,” colleges, and theatre programs. It’s been a lot of hard work; vocal lessons, sometimes not getting cast, learning to read music during senior year, and trying my hardest to improve as a dancer.
The best advice I could give to someone who wants to pursue theatre is: don’t be afraid to embarrass yourself. Acting is simply playing pretend, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy. It takes a lot of courage to get on stage and try something new. Oftentimes, the thing you are scared to do is what could land you the role. So lean into what you are afraid of! Don’t let worries of looking silly affect you or your work.
Theatre is all about your heart. So to be perfectly cliche, follow it.
Amelia Connor-McCoy ‘19 is now a Sophomore at the University of Rhode Island. She is majoring in Theatre with a double concentration in Acting and Design, with a focus on scenic painting. She is also minoring in Vocal Performance.
Outside of theatre, she is still playing Ultimate Frisbee! She joined the URI club team "Disky Business" fall of her Freshmen year, and loves it. She also works as a camera operator, filming sports games at URI and at the Portland Sea Dogs in the summer.
Amelia was recently cast in Machinal by Sophia Treadwell and directed by Rachel Walshe at the University of Rhode Island Theatre.
Mia Pierce ‘24 shared:
I was in Mary Poppins this summer and I played Winnifred Banks (the kids’ mom). Currently, I’m in Mt. Ararat’s production of Mama Mia playing Lisa. I am so excited!
Are you an FSP graduate currently in a theater production? We would love to hear from you!
Reach out to Development Director, Brooke, by email (brooke@friendsschoolportland.org) or fill out this quick google form: https://forms.gle/DubTGjPBUeYpGZ1Q7