Clarke Central High School Instructional Coach Ginger Lehmann has arranged for a group of CCHS students to attend a matinee performance of the University of Georgia Theatre and Film Department’s adaptation of “Murder on the Orient Express.” Students going on the trip were required to fill out a permission slip and pay the $5 fee by April 3, a process Lehmann tried to make easy. “We never want to eliminate the opportunity from a student who wants to attend a performance based on the cost. It does have a cost, but that is not a deterrent for students that want to attend,” Lehmann said. “They just (had) to communicate with their teacher that they want to attend, but the cost is a barrier for them, and then we could help with that.” Graphic by Lea D’Angelo
On April 15, a group of CCHS students will take a field trip to UGA’s Fine Arts Theatre to see an adaptation of Agatha Christie’s “Murder on the Orient Express.”
Clarke Central High School students are getting another glimpse of the University of Georgia campus, this time, with a theatrical performance.
The field trip to the UGA Theatre and Film Department’s production of famous author Agatha Christie’s novel “Murder on the Orient Express” is on April 15 at the Fine Arts Theatre. According to CCHS Instructional Coach Ginger Lehmann, who coordinated the event, the department puts on matinee performances for nearby schools once a year.
“I don’t know how many of our students actually attend stage performances like that. They might go to the ones that are put on by our drama department here at Clarke Central, but I think it can be a new experience for (some),” Lehmann said. “I think any kind of artistic exploration is beneficial for students. It’s good for them to see different performing arts and literary arts adaptations.”
A promotion for the University of Georgia Theatre and Film Department’s production of “Murder on the Orient Express,” by Agatha Christie, is shown. For Clarke Central High School students who signed up to attend the performance on April 15, the trip is a chance both to see an adaptation of a famous play and to explore another part of UGA’s campus. “I think it’s great just to get outside of (CCHS and) get another opportunity to visit a different part of UGA. Students do the UGA Experience trips every year, but I don’t think they typically include fine arts performances, so it’s a good opportunity for them to see a different aspect of a nearby campus as well,” CCHS Instructional Coach Ginger Lehmann said. Post by ugatheatre
Permission slips and an attendance fee of $5 were due by April 3, which Lehmann worked to make accessible for students who wanted to go.
“I saw the movie version of (Murder on the Orient Express) of it because my uncle showed it to me, and so I’m excited to see that story and kind of told in a kind of different way,” CCHS senior Gavin Benitez Gay, who will attend the field trip, said.
Clarke Central High School Instructional Coach Ginger Lehmann talks about a previous experience of taking a class to see a University of Georgia Theatre and Film Department adaptation of Macbeth in 2013 on March 27 in Room 242. Field trips like these have served as valuable opportunities for students.“It’s just a really positive experience to see a real play,” CCHS English department teacher Molly Dorkey said. “I’m always surprised, even though there is some theater in middle school, and there’s obviously theater in high school, (that) there’s lots of kids (who) never get exposed to it.” Video by Lea D’Angelo
The performance is particularly impactful for CCHS literature students, who now get to experience the “book vs. adaptation” debate firsthand as a play is brought to life in front of them, although it isn’t one they read in class.
“We read ‘Romeo and Juliet’ in ninth grade lit, and we do a lot of reading aloud of the play because plays, obviously, are meant to be read aloud and performed,” CCHS English department teacher Molly Dorkey said. “This play is not a Shakespearean play, but ‘Murder on the Orient Express’ is a really great story, and I think the students are going to really enjoy the experience of seeing literature and theater in action.”
