BEYOND THE SEA

Ms. Claire Hilton (‘11), middle and upper school theatre director, says she has “the show must go on ingrained in her spirit” from her professional theater background. Never could she have anticipated all of the circumstances and what a mountain would need to be moved to make Beyond the Sea, the middle school variety show, happen. God’s hand was evident throughout the process and not only did the show go on, but the show went on for God’s glory.

New to Charlotte Christian as a teacher, but a 2011 CCS graduate, Ms. Hilton entered employee orientation with her first major project to direct the middle school musical, The Little Mermaid. Part of that first week of planning was spent having a conversation about what the purpose should be behind Charlotte Christian’s fine arts productions. Was it to put on a big, flashy show, or was it to find experiences of education and growth rooted in biblical context? Through the experiences of the next 11 weeks, Ms. Hilton learned that “the process is the point,” when directing a play during a global pandemic or otherwise.

Just before auditions, a seemingly impossible challenge came. It was clear that the copyright laws of the original play dictated that the show could not be performed digitally and had to be performed for a live audience. Due to COVID-19, some Charlotte Christian students were At-Home learners. It was important to the fine arts department that all students be given a chance to participate in the play, regardless of where their learning was happening - this play was not going to be a fit. Students auditioned with material from The Little Mermaid as planned, but Ms. Hilton knew the show would need to be something different and unique.

After looking at a few other titles and choices, Ms. Hilton had the idea of performing a variety show - small acts and small groups - produced more like a movie than a play. With a new plan, Ms. Hilton, having only taken a playwriting class in college, put pen to paper and Beyond the Sea was created. The process was “surprisingly, incredibly easy” which she says is a testament to the students. “I took what happened in auditions to make characters,” shared Ms. Hilton. “Creative students making such bold choices made that easy.”

The rehearsal process started with music, then dance and lastly acting, backwards from the way a musical is usually produced. Because of protocols, singing could not take place inside; all involved rose to the challenge and then some, helping with the outside set up and take down each day. With the help of an outside music director and audio engineer, two weeks of music rehearsal culminated in singing songs in a make-shift recording studio built on a loading dock outside.

As sixth grade performer Anne Louise Magee reflected on her experience being a part of the show, she explained that, “the process was like Jack from the play. In Beyond the Sea, he’s always searching for treasure. He doesn’t find it at first, but he keeps working and trying and doesn’t give up. I learned that if you want something, you should work hard at it, and not give up!

Charlotte Christian productions typically rely on parent volunteers for everything from costume making to building sets. Because of the school’s COVID-19 protocols, volunteers were not allowed on campus. A few upper school students volunteered to help and wore many hats during the weeks of rehearsal and production. One of the upper school volunteers, junior Katelyn Caldwell, said of this experience, “I feel truly thankful that I got to be a part of something that’s never happened at CCS before. We took COVID and we made a wonderful production, and that was really amazing to see.”

Dance choreography presented its own challenges. Because it was a priority to keep rehearsal numbers small, the performers were divided into seven small color groups, each group a part of a feature number and the opening and closing numbers. The groups were taught separately, with very few all-cast rehearsals. “To see it all come together - it was electric in a way that you don’t usually get in a production,” said Ms. Hilton.

“Mr. Justin Bingham (CCS creative media specialist) used his vision and artistry to take the production to the next level (through his videography),” Ms. Hilton said. Mr. Bingham filmed each song and number as a separate movie; masks were worn and actors took them off only to lip sync to their own prerecorded voices. Once these were filmed and while they were being edited, the cast worked on their acting. What came from the necessary pivot at the beginning of the production was an event that combined on-stage performance while using screens and pre-recorded material. In all of the changes and adjusting, Ms. Hilton said she never once worried about the amazing cast being successful.