Ursuline's fall play makes magic onstage with production of "Witches"

Have you ever wondered how Ursuline’s theater productions come together? Step behind the curtain to get a real look at how Ursuline’s fall play, “The Witches” by Roald Dahl, comes to life. You’ll see cast members tossing on their wigs in the changing rooms backstage and crew members arranging set pieces in the dark or hovering over the light and sound boards to hit every cue. It quickly becomes clear that the behind-the-scenes world of an Ursuline drama production is far more complex—and far more impressive—than the polished performances alone reveal. The cast, crew, and directors put in hours of work to make the magic happen.

The show follows an unnamed boy, played by Meghan McGovern ’27, on a whimsical adventure that feels quintessentially Roald Dahl. He lives with his Norwegian grandmother, portrayed by Alessandra Pisella ’27, who warns him about witches in wigs who turn children into animals. After he encounters the Grand High Witch, played by Sydney Bowles ’26, he teams up with his grandmother and his new friend Bruno, played by Rosie Murphy ’32, to stop the witches’ evil plan. Dahl’s book “The Witches” is delightful on its own, but seeing the story come alive on the Ursuline stage makes it even more engaging. Watching the show’s moving parts sync up—and knowing how much work students put into making that happen—makes the experience all the more impressive.

When you think of what goes into a play, you probably think of the cast first. And although this ensemble is on the smaller side, it includes sixth graders through seniors who truly function as a community. One of the key roles belongs to Murphy, a sixth grader. She admitted that acting alongside girls from every grade level felt a little intimidating at first, but she quickly grew confident thanks to the support and kindness of the cast and crew.

On the opposite end is Bowles, a senior who has taken part in drama productions throughout high school. She plays the Grand High Witch—the show’s main antagonist—and plans to study the dramatic arts in college. Bowles appreciates the range of opportunities Ursuline has offered her. “The chance to experience a range of performing arts at Ursuline has helped me broaden my experience in performing arts, especially working with professionals like Mr. Falipou and Ms. Gentry,” she said. She explained that these varied experiences helped her discover the direction she wants to pursue.

"The chance to experience a range of performing arts at Ursuline has helped me broaden my experience in performing arts, especially working with professionals like Mr. Falipou and Ms. Gentry."

- Sydney Bowles '26

Backstage, the giggles as the girls helped one another get ready—and as the witches adjusted their wigs—showed how familiar and comfortable the cast had become with one another. But the real story lies in the work they put in, both on and off stage. When chatting with Gianna Durso ’31, Rose Moore ’32, and Murphy, they described acting exercises designed to help them “feel more witchy,” including “witch walks” and creating character biographies. Murphy even opened a Canva project she made to customize her biography with extra details.

One theme that came up again and again was how much the cast appreciates their co-directors, Ms. Kelly Gentry of the Performing Arts Department and Mr. Sylvain Falipou-Karkari, who teaches in both the Performing Arts and Religious Studies departments. Whether leading acting warm-ups or sharing detailed notes, the directors’ encouragement helped the girls take ownership of their characters. The students even contributed to tiny creative details. Durso shared that in the character biography she wrote for the directors, she imagined her witch with red hair. Holding up her costume wig enthusiastically, she said, “And look at this—they gave me a red wig!”

Of course, none of it would come together without the crew. Stage managers Julia Ralph ’26 and Gabby Guevara ’26 kept everything flowing backstage, coordinating scene changes, setting the stage and managing lighting cues. The crew also helped design and build the show’s set pieces with the support of Ms. Patricia DiIorio of the Visual and Media Arts Department. In the lighting booth, Chloe Stella ’28 worked with a small team to run the spotlights, sound board, and stage lights. She talked about the unique challenges of working the booth for “The Witches,” especially the lighting adjustments needed for the many scenes performed in front of the curtain.

Watching the booth team at work made it clear how much focus—and multitasking—the job requires, but also how much fun they have doing it. Stella said one of the best parts of tech crew is the friendships she forms in the booth. “It’s really nice doing shows at Ursuline because I get to work with people and become friends with people I’ll see every day.” She also shared how exciting it is to use Ursuline’s new lightboard and described a few lighting-booth traditions that make show days special.

"It's really nice doing shows at Ursuline because I get to work with people and become friends with people I'll see every day."

- Chloe Stella '28

Seeing what happens backstage gives you a whole new appreciation for what unfolds onstage. Every show requires constant communication, attention, and teamwork—skills these students strengthened over months of rehearsals. Their enthusiasm, creativity, and love for the dramatic arts shine through in every moment. And after watching all the energy and joy that went into “The Witches,” it's hard not to look forward to the next show.
 

Click HERE to view 'The Arts, in her own words.'