Service and stagecraft team up for a common good

For the last 30 years, Friends Academy 8th graders have ended their year with a service project at the Nassau County Games for the Physically Challenged, where students bring and help lead games. “The activities that we take are simple and fun and there is always room for one more,” said advisor and 8th grade Science teacher Selina Collier. “In fact, thanks to our Upper School Stagecraft class, we will be adding four more…”

Cut to Stagecraft class, a unique program at Friends that pairs Upper School students with Technical Director Tye Burris and gives them the opportunity to work with common woodworking tools, including various saws, a screw gun, and a router.

“One of our projects this fall has been for students to build hard flats, also known as ‘TV Flats,’ explained Theater teacher Peter Saunders. Flats are used in theatrical scenery to create walls or other set pieces and students in this class work collaboratively to create a piece of scenery. “I had mentioned to Selina that we were going to be building these flats for Stagecraft class, and she recognized an opportunity to use them as new games for the 8th Grade service event,” shared Peter, who with Tye, was excited that the flats could be put to good use as new bean bag toss games. “As an added bonus, each student gets to paint a design on the front of the flat!”

Photography by Alvin Caal/Friends Academy and Peter Saunders/Friends Academy