Drama Students Perform Avenue Q For Outdoor Audience

Upper school Drama students presented  Avenue Q: School Edition to a live, outdoor audience the weekend of April 24. Upper school theatre teacher Jason Peck said he was determined to give seniors a chance to shine after last year’s production of Little Shop of Horrors was upended due to the covid pandemic.
 
“The University College in London recently published a study that showed the heartbeats of live audiences beat together at the same time regardless if you know your fellow audience members or not,” said Peck. “I find that an astounding, awe-inspiring fact - that two strangers can watch something together and synchronize their pulse. The theatre is a powerful, powerful thing.”
 
Peck said knowing that Benjamin Hall wasn’t an option for the performance, he and his drama students started brainstorming what an outdoor musical would look like.
 
“We knew we wanted something that had a unit set [one single location] and ideally something that would allow us to keep our actors somewhat distant,” said Peck. Avenue Q: School Edition fit both those criteria and was selected as the Spring musical. The show’s story was told through puppets and asked “challenging questions through a comedic lens,” said Peck. He said his hope is that it will inspire meaningful dialogue around issues that affect Benjamin students.
 
Peck said although the outdoor musical presented its challenges, a group of faculty, parents, and students all came together to create a “very special experience in a very crazy, unpredictable year.”
 
“I am so proud that our students kept the collective theatrical heartbeat of TBS beating,” said Peck.
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A premier PK3 - Grade 12 independent, coeducational day school with campuses in North Palm Beach and Palm Beach Gardens. Since 1960, The Benjamin School has provided a challenging college preparatory education to a diverse student body in a structured, nurturing community environment.
 
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