During midterm week, while students balanced tests, essays, and projects, those enrolled in the Drama course added a very different assessment to their schedules on January 22: students across three classes memorized and performed sixteen scenes in the studio theatre. They presented short excerpts from full-length plays to an audience of students and parents after weeks of preparation.
Across these Drama classes taught by Performing Arts Faculty Peter Parisi and Eleza Kort, students worked in groups of two or three. Parisi explained that the midterm served as the culminating project for the semester, noting that students had “been working over the first semester on skills for representational acting” and that the performance allowed them to apply those skills in front of a live audience.
Alba Gilabert-Reid ‘26 described the midterm as rewarding, with preparation spread over two months rather than crammed into a few stressful days. She expressed that performing live added excitement, since the audience made the experience feel more meaningful than a typical midterm test. Gilabert-Reid performed a scene from Proof by David Auburn and portrayed Catherine, alongside a classmate who played Catherine’s sister, Claire. Preparation involved much more than memorizing lines: students “started by reading the entirety of the play to get an idea of what the characters’ circumstances were,” then completed workshops on “character intentions and scene beats” to “find moments of tension and release between the characters.”
The midterm also included a “subscript” assignment that explored what their characters truly meant behind each line of dialogue. Charlotte Weinstein ‘26, a Drama student who has never done theatre at Milton before, commented that these preparations gave a “greater understanding of the scene itself,” which allowed them to “play into their characters.” Weinstein added that “being able to practice with someone consistently for a long period of time” helped her develop comfort in working with her partner.
Weinstein admitted that the midterm was “quite nervewracking” and shared that memorizing her long monologue was the most difficult part of the midterm. James Lee ‘27, a Drama student, attested to the role of nervousness in the midterm, especially with a crowded audience. Nonetheless, Lee valued the feedback given to him by peers and teachers throughout the semester and “hearing everyone’s opinions and workshopping.” He also appreciated the fact that the final project was not “out of the blue.”
Parisi said the midterm challenged students to apply academic skills in a new way, explaining that Drama asks students to take analysis they already know and “transfer that to creating a realistic, authentic, human, honest performance on stage.” He added, “we want the students to have the experience of performing in front of a live audience because there's that unspoken relationship that occurs when you're acting and you're getting the feedback from the audience.”
That relationship was clear on performance night, which brought a mix of nerves and excitement. Parisi said the turnout surprised him: “we could barely fit people in here,” which made the night feel meaningful for the performers. He noted that many students had never appeared on stage before but rose to the challenge by committing fully to their roles and adapting when unexpected moments occurred.
Similarly, History teacher and Community Engagement director Andrea Geyling-Moore, who was in the audience remarked that “it was amazing how packed the audience was” and “it was really wonderful to see that much support for fellow students.” Geyling-Moore was impressed by the diversity and number of the performances. She commended the performers for their courage to do something that they “[don’t normally do,]”, which she thought was “brave, entertaining and also moving.” Geyling-Moore concluded, “What’s always meaningful for me is seeing my advisees and students that I know through community engagement or people that I’ve taught in class and seeing that other side of them.”
Gilabert-Reid said performing later in the night added pressure after watching other students perform their scenes, but “seeing all the other scenes motivated us a little bit.” She described the experience as rewarding and unorthodox for a midterm assignment, reflecting that “it didn’t really feel like a midterm” but instead “like an accumulation of what we’ve done so far.” Memorization created challenges, particularly when her scene partner accidentally skipped part of the dialogue. She adjusted her lines in the moment, adding that “you wouldn’t really tell that it went wrong.” Parisi said moments like these showed growth, explaining that learning how to recover smoothly ensures “the audience wouldn’t know it was a mistake.”
Beyond individual performances, the midterm left students with a clearer sense of their improvement over the semester. Parisi emphasized the importance of giving and receiving feedback, explaining that it matters to “look someone in the eye and specifically say, when you did this, this was excellent. This was funny. This was moving.” He said this process builds confidence and teaches students how to support one another as performers.
For Gilabert-Reid, the course has stood out as a welcoming space for students with different levels of experience. She added that skills developed in class, such as collaboration and public speaking, carry over into other courses and everyday situations. Parisi reinforced her point, sharing that he hopes students leave Drama feeling proud of what they accomplished and more open to unfamiliar challenges. Reflecting on the course, he said, “high school is about discovery [and] trying new things,” and that Drama offers students a chance to do exactly that in a supportive environment.