Thirty-eight fourth graders, along with 11 Middle Schoolers, came together this semester to produce the iconic MICDS Fourth-Grade Play. This year’s production, aptly named The Fourth-Grade Play, was about a group of fourth graders discussing the upcoming fourth-grade play during recess. They talked about their hopes for the play and whether or not they would be involved. Along the way, they dreamt up different scenarios from a Hamilton-inspired soldier song to a puppet feature, encouraging each other to be actors and members of the tech crew while trying something new. The play was performed at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, May 8, and it will be showcased one final time for Lower Schoolers on the last day of school, Friday, May 29.
For three years now and counting, the annual play has been written by our very own Debra Mein, Middle School Theatre Teacher. “This play in particular was inspired by students asking me throughout the year what the fourth-grade play was going to be about. I love that they feel invested!” explains Ms. Mein. “I love thinking about the culture of the class as well as what kids are interested in or talking about, and including it in the script. And, because so many students asking about the play had siblings who would be participating, I thought it would be fun if it referenced previous fourth-grade plays.”
The fourth-grade play has a rich history. Ms. Mein wanted to honor that by creating a full-scale production experience for them. She adds, “Because they don’t regularly experience drama or theatre in their daily curriculum, I layer in skill-building throughout the process.” Once Ms. Meins knows how many kids want to participate in the play, she adds in roles for each student so everyone has a special part in the production. She also works with alumna Roxane McWilliams ’87 on the music. Mein passes along song ideas and lyrics to Roxane, who then arranges and records fun accompaniment for the music.
Any fourth grader can sign up to participate in the fourth-grade play. If participating, after Spring Break, students attend about a dozen hour-long rehearsals after school two times a week. Then, it’s time to break a leg!
While Ms. Mein oversaw the play generally, it was directed by MICDS eighth-grader Audrey Moore ’30. “I love creating opportunities for students to lead and learn alongside younger and older students,” Mein shares. Throughout her time at MICDS, Audrey has participated in after-school shows herself, and she assisted the director of last year’s fourth-grade play. After showing an increased interest in gaining experience in all aspects of theatre, she applied to direct and was selected for the important position.
“I was interested in this role because I wanted to learn more about directing and see more of the technical side of the stage,” details Audrey. “I also wanted to help give the fourth graders a positive experience. Though the process was sometimes stressful, I had a lot of fun and learned about leadership and how to advocate for them and, at times, for myself.”
One of the highlights for Audrey was seeing everything become reality as the stage was painted and as the show was fully rehearsed for the first time. “One thing I remember really well was on Sunday, the whole Middle School team, plus a couple of other theater kids, came to paint the stage. It was really exciting to see all those ideas come together and be put on stage,” she shared. “Another highlight was seeing it come together for the first time; it was super exciting!”
“Through the play, students learned to work with and value the opinions of students different from themselves,” reflected Ms. Mein. “They also led, collaborated, and refined their public speaking skills.” Mein also shared that her favorite part of the play was seeing students collaborate in order to strive toward a common goal.
To see the full list of cast and crew members, view the program here! To the actors, actresses, and crew team—thank you for solving the mystery of what the 2026 fourth-grade play would be! Now, what will it be next year…?