On the occasion of bidding farewell to the outgoing students who were supposed to appear at the Secondary Examination next year, the students of classes IX and X arranged a dramatic performance in our school.
The students from classes VII to X were asked to participate in the audition test held in the auditorium of the school in presence of our teachers for final selection of actors and actresses. The drama which was unanimously selected was ‘Androcles and the Lion’. The dialogues were written by our Vice-Principal for the occasion.
As I am a shy person, they selected me in the role of an attendant at the king’s court, while my friends were selected for the main roles, because they looked free and fit in their speech and movement.
However, I did not regret my role. It was simple and short. The rehearsal went on for about a week before the day of the performance in school auditorium after the school hours.
ADVERTISEMENTS:
On the occasion, we issued invitation cards to the parents of all the students. We arranged for good refreshment for the outgoing students who had last year arranged similar function, when their turn came. We wanted to present them some flower bouquets and pen-sets on the day. So we had to raise handsome funds from the students.
One of our senior teachers was the director of the drama. He took his position on the stage with the script in hand so that he could prompt the dialogues to the actors and actresses, as and when- necessary. Since our school had the advantage of co-education, the boys acted in the male roles and the girls in the female roles. Costumes and make-up men were hired from among the professionals.
The drama began in the scheduled time at 2 p.m., and was successfully performed to the satisfaction of the visitors and the staff of the school. It ended at about 4 p.m. Sushmita, a student of class VIII, who acted as the Queen was selected as the best actress and was awarded a silver medal by a patron of the school.
After the spectators left, we requested the outgoing students to come in our canteen for refreshment. We served them food ourselves, which they enjoyed with pleasure. The function was over by 5 p.m.
ADVERTISEMENTS:
It came to my mind that after a couple of years, I shall also have to attend this function as an outgoing student of the school, when our juniors would bid farewell to us in the same way as we have done this day.
It is, no doubt, a memorable day in the school life of a student, because after this, he would be in a higher educational institution, anywhere else than the dear old school where he had once entered as a very young kid, and where he has spent many years in the company of friendly classmates and affectionate teachers.