In Freeman Theater on the MICDS campus, fifth through eighth graders learned and embraced the fine art of commedia dell’arte, also known as “comedy of the profession,” a term used since the mid-1500s, for their recent Middle School fall play. Commedia dell’arte is essentially slapstick paired with breaking the fourth wall. The Love of Three Oranges is a fast-paced, raucous adaptation of Carlo Gozzi’s 18th-century play, and students brought it to life with their signature brand of humor and wit. And with a book-flat painted backdrop, minimal props, and fanciful costumes, the cast set the perfect stage for this boisterous play.
The synopsis: In a fantasy kingdom, Prince Tartaglia suffers from a seemingly incurable case of hypochondria, leaving his father, the King of Hearts, desperate to find anything that will make him laugh and save his life. Unbeknownst to the King, his scheming niece, Princess Clarice, and her co-conspirator, Leandro, secretly plot with the evil sorceress Fata Morgana to keep the Prince sick so Clarice can take the throne. Enter the quick-witted jester Truffaldino, who constantly pauses the action to wink at the audience, roast the plot’s ridiculousness, and break the fourth wall. The Prince is finally cured when Truffaldino accidentally trips Fata Morgana at a festival, sending Tartaglia into fits of laughter. Outraged, the sorceress retaliates by cursing the Prince with an uncontrollable obsession to journey to the ends of the Earth in search of three legendary giant oranges.
Accompanied by a reluctant Truffaldino – who takes every chance to complain directly to the audience about being dragged into an utterly impractical quest – Tartaglia braves a far-off desert and steals magical fruit from a sorceress with the help of the wizard Celio. The absurdity level rises when a parched Truffaldino slices open the first two oranges while the Prince sleeps, accidentally unleashing two princesses who immediately perish from thirst in the desert heat. Between frantic and hilarious bouts of fretting to the audience over the princesses dying from fruit-induced dehydration, Truffaldino helps the awakened Prince open the third orange and secure water just in time to save the final princess, Ninetta. The two instantly fall in love, setting the stage for a grand royal wedding back at the palace.
Before they can live happily ever after, Fata Morgana and her wicked servant intervene, cursing Princess Ninetta into a dove and planting the servant in her place. Horrified by his new bride, the honorable Prince feels bound to his vow until the transformed Ninetta crashes the wedding feast. With Truffaldino cracking jokes and Wizard Celio breaking the dark magic, the true princess is restored, the villains are exposed for their treachery, and Tartaglia and Ninetta are joyously united.
None of this organized chaos would be possible without Middle School Drama Teacher Debra Mein, who brings a special energy to each production. Her teaching style pairs light guidance with student-directed independence, supporting each actor’s personal growth while weaving the ensemble into a cohesive team. “It’s always impressive to me the amount of creative energy and gumption students bring to our middle school productions,” she said. “They are largely independent in this space, creating characters or experimenting with design, with minimal input from me. Theater is a place that naturally operates with possibility at its core, actively problem-solving and idea-generating.”
That creative freedom sparked strong bonds as students across all four grade levels took ownership of the performance.
Samuel K. ’34 played a member of The Famosos, a bumpkin troupe who encountered Prince Tartaglia and Truffaldino in the desert. He said, “My favorite moment onstage was when I ad-libbed, and I quote myself, ‘It is a hammer, oh my god, what is wrong with you guys?!’ Working with students from different grades was, well, interesting. Sometimes we didn’t click, but in theatre, you always make a friend.” When asked what he learned from this production, he said, “If you don’t like the show, or your part, the show sometimes makes a connection, and you remember that forever.”
Two of the three oranges, played by Priyanka G. ’32 and Shivatmika M. ’32, valued the cross-grade collaboration. “I really liked working with other grades because I enjoyed offering advice to those younger than me,” said Priyanka. Shivatmika agreed: “It was amazing working with different people from different grade levels. I made so many friends I never thought I would have if I hadn’t signed up for the Middle School Play. The experience of having such a strong community was just great.”
Another member of The Famosos, Matias G. ’33, added, “Everyone working together was so much fun! From all the grade levels, we were so connected with each other, and we worked together so well. All the actors tried their hardest, and I am very happy about that! It was a very funny show with all of the laughs and giggles from the audience. This was definitely the group of actors I have felt most connected to in the past months!”
Maddie O. ’32 played Orange #3, also known as Princess Ninetta. “My favorite moment offstage was the part where we actors and actresses weren’t acting and where we were talking and hanging out. I loved how we all got to know each other, how we got to make new friendships, and meet new people,” she said.
Maddie also navigated the challenges of physical comedy. She said, “The hardest part of the physical comedy was keeping character in funny moments because I wanted to laugh so much, but I had to stay in character. Over time, I got more used to the environment of my new character and eventually was fully able to stay in character throughout the entire show. A big lesson I learned was that fully stepping into your character and being your character is key to a great show, and this applies to any role, no matter if you’re a tech, an actor or actress, a co-director, the director, or anybody contributing to the play. I love working with students of all different grade levels because each different person and grade level brought something different to the show, and there was so much diversity in the production.”
Sunvi L-G. ’33 played the wizard Celio disguised as the narrator and struggled to define her character’s voice. “Developing the character was the most challenging part. You can’t tell my character’s emotions by the lines I say and act, since the wizard is hiding as the narrator. I like getting to interact with all the actors and the tech and how we all perform together as a team, ” she said.
Ananya S. ’33 was a member of the Dun Dun Duhs, which is a group that pops out for dramatic effect when something evil happens. She said, “I think that theater is awesome. And for anyone who hasn’t done it, I recommend you try because it’s really fun and it’s great working with other people. It’s so much more than reading lines. You have to work with props, music, directors, and costumes. It’s so hard to do ALL of this, and it’s fun to do it together. You don’t have to be an actor; there is always something in a play that is speaking your language.”
Well done, Middle School students! Click here for the full program.