Educational Excellence Since 1912
Hamden Hall Country Day School
Educating students in PreSchool through Grade 12
Hamden Hall Country Day School
Educating students in PreSchool through Grade 12
Home-Grown Musical Promises Lots Of 'Yakety Yaks'
This weekend’s Middle School Musical is yet another home-grown production that intersperses comedy and drama in a raucous celebration of the music of the 1950s and the timeless tribulations of being a teenager.
The production, called The Yakety Yak Musical Review, is built on a series of scenes written by science teacher Beth Rosenberg Richter 1985 and directed by theater teacher Karl Gasteyer. Forty-five Middle School students have been rehearsing and staging for the past two months. The musical is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 13, and Saturday, Dec. 14.
According to Mrs. Richter, her return to playwriting – which she hadn’t undertaken in over a decade – was inspired by an “animated conversation with Karl about the musical revue that he was planning.”
“In working with the cast, Karl has constructed moments of physical comedy and emotional conflict that I never would have known to look for, and I have experienced the joy of seeing my work come to life in new and lively ways,” she said. “While the show is not meant to be perfectly polished, it is poignant and exuberant in a way that seems perfectly apropos to the adolescent experience that I was seeking to capture in my writing.”
Not many people know that Mrs. Richter’s previous careers included both playwriting and arts administration. Her collaboration on this production has enabled her to come full circle in returning to the theater.
“When I first came to Hamden Hall to teach high school chemistry in 1997-98, veteran theater teacher Mary Jane Smith produced the premiere of my first comedy, Princess for President, in the Middle School.
Mrs. Richter’s two earliest plays were both dramas.
Returning to the theater didn’t mean just writing the dialogue. Instead, as the play was cast and rehearsals progressed, Mrs. Richter said she often sat in on rehearsals to see which scenes needed adjustments and to admire the interpretations that Mr. Gasteyer had developed with his young performers.
“I’m grateful to Karl and to the whole cast and crew for the opportunity to contribute to the experience of live theater – an experience that, thankfully, continues to flourish here at Hamden Hall,” maintained Mrs. Richter.
The production, called The Yakety Yak Musical Review, is built on a series of scenes written by science teacher Beth Rosenberg Richter 1985 and directed by theater teacher Karl Gasteyer. Forty-five Middle School students have been rehearsing and staging for the past two months. The musical is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 13, and Saturday, Dec. 14.
According to Mrs. Richter, her return to playwriting – which she hadn’t undertaken in over a decade – was inspired by an “animated conversation with Karl about the musical revue that he was planning.”
“In working with the cast, Karl has constructed moments of physical comedy and emotional conflict that I never would have known to look for, and I have experienced the joy of seeing my work come to life in new and lively ways,” she said. “While the show is not meant to be perfectly polished, it is poignant and exuberant in a way that seems perfectly apropos to the adolescent experience that I was seeking to capture in my writing.”
Not many people know that Mrs. Richter’s previous careers included both playwriting and arts administration. Her collaboration on this production has enabled her to come full circle in returning to the theater.
“When I first came to Hamden Hall to teach high school chemistry in 1997-98, veteran theater teacher Mary Jane Smith produced the premiere of my first comedy, Princess for President, in the Middle School.
Mrs. Richter’s two earliest plays were both dramas.
Returning to the theater didn’t mean just writing the dialogue. Instead, as the play was cast and rehearsals progressed, Mrs. Richter said she often sat in on rehearsals to see which scenes needed adjustments and to admire the interpretations that Mr. Gasteyer had developed with his young performers.
“I’m grateful to Karl and to the whole cast and crew for the opportunity to contribute to the experience of live theater – an experience that, thankfully, continues to flourish here at Hamden Hall,” maintained Mrs. Richter.
Hamden Hall Country Day School
1108 Whitney Avenue
Hamden, Connecticut 06517
Phone: 203-752-2600
Fax: 203-752-2651
admissions@hamdenhall.org
Hamden, Connecticut 06517
Phone: 203-752-2600
Fax: 203-752-2651
admissions@hamdenhall.org
About Us
Hamden Hall Country Day School is a nurturing and inclusive community with a dynamic learning environment that promotes academic excellence by understanding each child and fostering their individual growth.
