As the school year is ending, we had the honor to participate in an incredible Montrose tradition, the Merrie Month of May. We had the opportunity to see different grades perform and perform ourselves in a Shakespeare classic. From a sixth and seventh-grade perspective, we will share our experiences from our first time at a valued Montrose tradition. 

Elisabeth ‘28’s perspective: 

The class of ‘28 had its Merrie Month of May celebration with each Literature section performing our scene, the climax of Much Ado About Nothing, for each other. We turned it into a little competition between Mrs. Rios’s seventh-grade Literature sections and added fun little twists of our own. 

The climax consisted of the wedding between Hero and Claudio (my part), two of the play’s main characters. The villain of the story, Don John, schemes to prevent the marriage and tricks Claudio to think that Hero was unfaithful, so the former would publicly shame his future wife, and create misery for others that Don John loved to watch. 

My section voted to turn it into a beach-themed wedding, with girls in mermaid tails, sunglasses, leis, and towels to fit the scene. We even went so far as to bring a water gun to attack Claudio after he made his wild accusations. The other section went all out in a country-style wedding, working hard on the affecting country accents and wearing all of the plaid, jeans, and cowboy accessories they could, with the former inspiring many giggles and smiles from both spectators and actors alike. 

Being my first Merrie Month of May as a new student, I was excited but also a little uncertain as to what would happen, but the day exceeded all of my highest expectations. Since I have never participated in a real theater show or liked acting, it was a lot of fun to take on a role and bring it to life with the safety net knowing that I was performing among friends. 

It also helped me to understand how different people could take the same scene from a play, or any other work for that matter, and end with such a wide range of final products. Acting in the scene did bring out how the emotion placed in the words was meant to come out. Their meanings also become clearer as one takes on the speaking role. I love this Montrose tradition, and I hope everyone else feels this way about it, not only for the gifts it gives but also for what you can give it. 

Regina ’29’s perspective: 

After enrichment, my classmates and I grabbed our scripts and walked into the M&M. The tenth and sixth grades started by doing some warm-ups, such as insulting each other in Shakespeare’s language, which was probably one of my favorite parts. After our warm-ups, the tenth grade sat down, and the sixth grade went on stage to perform a scene from A Midsummer’s Night Dream. 

In the end, there are four lovers who get married even though Egueus, one of the lovers’ fathers forbids them to do so, but Theseus, the Duke of Athens, gives the four lovers permission. My role was Theseus and a fairy, Mustardseed. I loved being able to perform in front of students and not all adults, which made me comfortable and not as nervous to mess up. The sixth grade performed the ending of A Midsummer’s Night Dream, and then we stepped down. 

Unlike us, the tenth grade performed different parts of different plays, such as The Merchant of Venice. Watching the tenth grade was amazing, for they were hilarious and dramatic at the same time. The tenth grade cheered up the whole thing, and one of the best parts was when one of the tenth graders brought a toy guitar for their scene. All in all, my very first Merrie month of May was a beautiful time, as I got an amazing time to act and see the older students act with their very enthusiastic humor.

Our first Merrie Month of May was a phenomenal experience, and we were lucky enough to gain experience in acting and a better understanding of Shakespeare. It was amazing to see so many different and fun interpretations of each piece, and even get to create them ourselves. Every presentation was so unique and creative, and even if you knew the scene, every minute was a surprise. We adored our first time at this beloved Montrose tradition, and we cannot wait to experience it again next year.

By Elisabeth Smith ‘28 and Regina Maricich ‘29, Middle School Editor & Staff Writer

28esmith@montroseschool.org and 29rmaricich@montroseschool.org