Taking over the Teater Besar at Taman Ismail Marzuki, the students of BINUS School Simprug put on a real show with their theatrical rendition of The Raven, an original adaptation of Edgar Allen Poe’s acclaimed narrative poem.
Featuring great stage design, lighting, era-appropriate costumes and choreography, the literal ‘scene’ was set for the ensemble of Grade 1 to 11 students to play their parts. Though inspired by the American poet, this version of The Raven was written and directed by the students themselves; they crafted the plot with twists and turns that kept the audience at the edge of their seats.
The Raven was written in the Victorian era (1845), and the students’ play also showcased the same era in their play. The poem talks about the narrator’s descent into madness after losing his lover, which reflects a lot of the themes in the play: loss, insanity, and grief.
“This whole process has been surreal. I have always wanted to be part of my school play when I reached Grade 11; ever since I was 10 watching all the seniors put on amazing shows with cool songs, actors and actresses, lights, and sets. Despite my experience in various school plays, I could never have thought of how hard being part of the core team could be,” shares student, Nandisty Allura Saputro, also The Raven’s Director.
“Since July last year, we worked so hard every day to make this happen, and I just can’t fathom how it is actually happening. Rehearsals happened at least two times every week. The cast and dancers had been working tirelessly for their scenes and musical performances. The core team worked every day for all their departments. It has been a tiring process indeed, but it will all pay off.”
Both students and teachers worked so hard to prepare this school play since September 2022 and everyone involved spent countless hours rehearsing and perfecting every detail of the play.
The drama enthralled with songs that went deep into every stage act. Some songs titled Quilt and QED were originally worked by the students. For other songs, such as Ballroom, Asturiath Monologue and Spirited Away, the instruments were also originally made by the students. They also created the instruments and improvised such as Dear Theodosia, Yorktown, and Killer King. The play was made even more majestic by the live orchestral performance of eight students who played violin, cello, harp, guitar, drums, bass, and piano.
BINUS School Simprug’s Principal, Mr. Isaac also took part as a performer in one of the scenes and joined the rehearsal session for the success of the play.
“The production of The Raven was a rollercoaster from start to end. The Raven was a story that came to me in a fever dream. I have no clue what kind of name ‘Barry Allen Asturiath Poe’ is. Initially, the story was a bit too dark for my own taste. I never imagined I’d love the story and the play so much. As more people started joining and I saw the fruition of everyone’s hard work, the play became less about my writing and more about everyone who was involved. I have so much love for this play and all the cast, production crew, and teachers, despite all the trials and tribulations.” explained Michelle Soerjanto, the Co-Director and Head of Scriptwriting.
The Raven was played by more than 100 students, from the musicians, stage props, cast, dancers to the lighting crew. The school’s drama club is proud to have put on such a successful production and hopes to continue to showcase its talent in future plays.
Find out more about BINUS School Simprug: simprug.binus.sch.id
