Photos: Sergio Betancort
The Santa María de los Volcanes-Nazaret School took the stage at the El Salinero Theater with the performance of the Musical Oliver Twist on April 25, 26, and 27. Once again, teachers, students, and families participated, contributing the best of themselves in a magnificent example of teamwork and commitment. A work that was rewarded by the public that filled the theater seats in the six sessions.
This year marks 10 years since the Congregation of the Missionary Sisters of the Sagrada Familia de Nazaret arrived on the island, and since then, the opportunity has been offered to create a musical show with students of all ages. From the stalls, the viewer could see how 722 students, aged between 3 and 16, move on stage like true professionals. The effort, dedication, enthusiasm, creativity, and genius shone on their faces.
This year, the play of Oliver Twist was chosen, a moving novel by Dickens that narrates the misfortunes of an orphaned child who grows up in a refuge for beggars and who suffers hardships when he joins, unknowingly, a gang of thieves. With a skillful handling of intrigue and mystery, Dickens draws a satirical portrait of a society incapable of understanding that only love can overcome the worst human instincts.
In this case, the protagonists embodied criminal characters, and challenged one of the most questioned evils, the dominant hypocrisy of their contemporaries. At the same time, this musical comes to us with a firm purpose, our society must resolve issues as important as childhood, guarantee the rights of all the children of this planet, to be able to live in peace, fighting for a free society where there is no space to restrict dreams.
The School continues each year preparing the staging of a musical to facilitate the acquisition of a more complete Artistic Education and a good Social Competence for the students in an effective and motivating way. The values that are worked on are undeniable, but at the same time it represents an approach to literary texts, musical compositions, classic authors, Disney works, etc.
From the school they point out that what teachers and students value most is having learned to act together, to value and admire the work of others. "As a society we have to make the right decisions that ensure a future of peace on this planet, because, as Dickens pointed out, the human heart is an instrument of many strings and only man knows how to make them all vibrate".