School Play Returns To Minnetonka's Notre Dame Academy, Bringing 'Semblance Of Normalcy'
MINNETONKA, Minn. (WCCO) -- A school play is returning from a pandemic-induced hiatus. Notre Dame Academy in Minnetonka will stage a production of "Frozen."
"Just fantastic that we get to finally, after two years, come together as a community," said Lori Wukmir, the theater director at NDA.
Every pre-COVID year, this small metro school went all out for the March musical. This year, they're back.
"Running around, like 'I lost a shoe!' You know, that type of, just that nervous energy and experience was something that we hadn't had for a couple years," said costume committee member and mom Melissa Stein.
It's a welcome return to wearing more appealing kinds of masks.
"To just have some semblance of normalcy I think is the greatest part of what we're doing here today," said Wukmir.
Important, too, with kids in the pandemic putting up with so much.
"It's been pretty fun. It's been a bit anxiety inducing but it's been fun overall," said eighth grader Chizy Jibunor.
"They really have, just like all of us, have lost so much social interaction at a time when they're really developing socially," said Wukmir.
For many, it was their first time performing for a large crowd.
"I was so nervous, but I shouldn't have been. It was great. Like once you get on stage, you kind of just like don't think about the audience, you're just there in the moment," said seventh grader Emily Guggenberger.
"This is my first theater experience. I went into it kind of reluctantly but it turned out to be a great experience," said eighth grader Joe Schumacher.
A school-wide production, and a renewed tradition.
In 2020, the school play was cancelled after opening night because of COVID-19. Last year, they made a socially-distanced movie instead of a live production.
