Eighth-graders Jenna Earhart (left) and Dante Estrada (right) rehearse as Sandy Dumbrowski and Danny Zuko, respectively, in the Robinson Middle School production of “Grease. Photo by Tim Peterson.
Though none of the actors are in high school, Katie Jenkins believes her cast will have no problem bringing the students of the famed, fictional Rydell High to life.
“Robinson is a secondary school,” said the middle school theater arts director, “so the kids are exposed to high school life earlier, with pep rallies, being mentored by high school athletes and working alongside high school theater students. It gives the students a more realistic grasp of what that’s like.”
The synergy between middle and high school drama programs has created a developmental pipeline, with younger students benefitting from the experience of upperclassmen and older students seeing the opportunity to expand their skills.
For the somewhat toned down “school version” of Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey’s musical “Grease,” the choreographer is Robinson junior Jessica Israel and junior Mady Hanton is stage manager.
“Mady joined the theater program in eighth grade,” said Jenkins. “Now she’s commanding this whole thing.”
Another challenge being met by the young thespians is finding perspective on the story’s portrayal of gender roles and sexism from half a century ago. “How do you change who you are so the boy likes you?” said Jenkins.
In the Robinson production, the lead roles of Sandy Dumbrowski and Danny Zuko (played by eighth graders Jenna Earhart and Dante Estrada) are meant to be deeper, more nuanced and stronger than their Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta counterparts.
“My Danny is more two-sided,” said Estrada. “He’s the guy’s guy personality and then a total wreck with this one girl.”
Earhart, who played Glinda in Robinson’s production of “The Wiz,” intends for Sandy to be less shy than normal. “My Sandy goes more out of her comfort zone, because she cares about this guy,” she said. “When I play her, she keeps more respect for herself; the movie doesn’t convey that as much.”