Up the Down Staircase
at Paul VI
Reviewed on November 17, 2007
| Name | School | Publication/Broadcasts |
Carly Maalouf | Bishop Ireton | Washington Post - Fairfax Extra |
Jennifer Isakowitz | Chantilly | Washington Post - Fairfax Extra |
Kelley Malloy | Chantilly | Connection |
Michael Poandl | Chantilly | The Catholic Herald |
Emily O'Connell | Bishop Ireton | Times Community Newspapers |
Leslie Berkowitz | Lake Braddock | ShowBizRadio.net |
Carolyn Darville | Bishop Ireton | Panther Press |
Kate McGinnis | Chantilly | Panther Press |
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Carly Maalouf
Bishop Ireton
Submitted for publication to Washington Post - Fairfax Extra
Welcome to Calvin Coolidge High School, where board erasers go missing, the walls are covered in graffiti, and the students drop out like flies. Who ever said teaching was easy? Paul VI High School’s recent production of Up the Down Staircase reminds that first impressions are not everything.
Up the Down Staircase, based on the novel by Bel Kaufman tells the story of a young, idealistic English teacher Sylvia Barrett, who accepts a job at an inner-city school in hopes of instilling a love for literature in her students. Ms. Barrett is quickly faced with a myriad of challenges, among them an unenthusiastic group of students, a rigid and straight-laced administration that cares more about the rules than about educating its students, and a class rebel Joe Ferone.
Directed by student John Curry, the show was creatively staged and very well cast. Students switching classes between bells, morning announcements at the podium, and multiple levels that functioned as various locations around Calvin Coolidge High School added to the overall atmosphere of the show. The students were a strong ensemble, and played off of each other nicely. Each cast member was able to fully develop and individualize his or her character, creating a loveable cast of vibrant, slightly eccentric characters.
Charlotte Schaner gave a mature, poised performance as Sylvia Barrett. C.J. Nucciarone portrayed trouble-maker Joe Ferone with all the insolence of his character. He was especially enjoyable to watch as he expressed his desire to change. An animated Fiona Torres gave a vibrant, energetic performance as Sylvia’s friend and mentor Beatrice Schachter. Alexandra Dent was a delight to watch as Alice Blake, especially as she declared her everlasting love for Mr. Barringer. Drake Johnson as the school disciplinarian J.J. McHabe and Jason Donahoe as the swoon worthy intellectual Paul Barringer also gave solid performances.
Cameo performances by Tommy Hodge (Jose Rodriguez), Allison Heinz (Rachel Gordon), Tyler Robinette (Dr. Maxwell Clarke), and Lizzy Baxter (Ella Friedenberg) were memorable ones. Despite their limited time on stage, each was able to create a well rounded, quirky character.
Although some lighting cues were missed, the cast remained energetic and enthusiastic throughout. Paul VI deserves commendation for a good show that was well received by the audience.
Jennifer Isakowitz
Chantilly
Submitted for publication to Washington Post - Fairfax Extra
Flying crumpled papers, a bubble-gum popping secretary, and a game of catch-the-rubber-chicken may be descriptions of a teacher's worst nightmare, but at Paul the VI's recent production of "Up the Down Staircase," these crazy incidents made for an audience’s delight!
Based on the novel written and published by Bel Kaufman in 1965, this story depicts the struggle of non-conforming individuals in a demanding society, as the title implies. The play focuses on young English teacher Sylvia Barrett's experience in the chaotic Calvin Coolidge High School, an inner-city facility full of "high underachievers." Despite a frustrating lack of motivation among many students and the restraining nature of the institution, Ms. Barrett perseveres in her attempt to reform the ways of the troubled teens. With the help of involved classroom discussions and a well-used suggestion box, the students eventually warm up to their "teach."
The play's challenging juxtaposition of humorous events with scenes of stern intensity was accomplished in PVI's performance. An energetic ensemble of students and teachers drew in the audience’s attention.
Whether faced with an obnoxious bully or a depressed young girl, Sylvia Barrett's versatile handling of the students and determination to be both an educator and mentor was conveyed by Charlotte Schaner with excellent poise and commitment. Faculty members such as the animated teacher Beatrice Schachter (Fiona Torres), the nasally-voiced Principal Dr. Maxwell Clarke (Tyler Robinette), and the timid school Nurse, Frances Egan (Ellie McDonnell) had a lively group dynamic.
A diverse ensemble of students added dimension to the show by introducing unique personality traits. Flashy Linda Rosen's (Melissa Anderson) amusing escape from pursuing boys and loner Jose Rodriguez's (Tommy Hodge) “aww”-inducing recitation of “Happy Birthday to Me” were memorable, standout ensemble sketches. Pupil Alice Blake's (Alexandra Dent) crush on the "glamour boy for the English department," Mr. Barringer (Jason Donahoe), led to a brilliantly played scene where the teacher read aloud a love note he received from the adolescent, noting the grammatical errors of the letter rather than the weighty substance of it. Alice's ashamed facial expressions and heartbroken slump which built up to a tragic climax were captivating and believable. Ms. Barrett's positive impact on the students was exemplified through the transformation of the toothpick-chewing Joe Ferone (C.J. Nucciarone) from a tardy back-talker to a considerate hard-worker.
Student director John Curry did a fine job taking a common storyline and turning it into a creative piece through inventive blocking choices, usage of a video clip of a 1960's schoolhouse to open the show, and a crisp interpretation of the script. Despite occasionally inconsistent spotlights and microphone usage, the majority of the technical work was clean and deliberate.
Combining a rowdy class of city kids with a refined, idealistic teacher is a recipe for disaster, but for PVI, these elements proved to be ingredients for an enjoyable evening.
Kelley Malloy
Chantilly
Submitted for publication to Connection
The schedule’s been changed. The forms are confusing. The messengers have pressing notes from the office. The students are boisterous to say the least... and attendance hasn’t even been taken yet! Sylvia Barrett’s first day as a teacher at Calvin Coolidge High School is sure to be a long one in "Up the Down Staircase" at Paul VI High School.
Originally a novel written and published by Bel Kaufman in 1965, the play depicts Sylvia Barrett’s struggle to reach her inner-city students, while trying to fight a system more concerned with silly rules, perplexing forms, and standardized tests. Barrett must decide whether to stick it out, or to become a drop-out herself and relocate to teach at a private school.
Director (and student) John Curry commendably managed the cast of 30. The show consisted of several unique touches which gave the show originality. The show began with a short video to set the scene and time of the play. An in-character welcome and introduction to the show from school disciplinarian J.J. McHabe (Drake Johnson also created memorable moments.
Charlotte Schaner’s portrayal of Sylvia Barrett was compelling. As the anchor of the show, she managed to keep it from falling flat, maintaining high energy throughout her constant presence on stage.
The strong supporting characters gave the performance additional personality. As the school nurse Frances Egan, Ellie McDonnell managed to beautifully balance comedic timing and dramatic monologues, making her small character quite memorable. Tommy Hodge brought amazing life to his character Jose Rodriguez, transforming him from the quiet student in the corner, to a student who finally believes he can achieve. His transformation from a slouchy student to a proud pupil emulates the pivotal moment of Miss Barrett’s influence on her students.
While the sound crew managed the microphones skillfully, there were a few minor missed effects cues. The creative use of lights was effective, although there were several times when actors were left speaking in the dark.
Although the show takes place over 40 years ago, the material is still applicable in today’s schools. Paul VI did an admirable job in portraying the frustration of being placed in an unjust high school bureaucracy.
Michael Poandl
Chantilly
Submitted for publication to The Catholic Herald
Imagine yourself thrown into a strange, hostile environment, where the law is survival of the fittest, and every day is a struggle to get by. No, it’s not war. It’s an inner-city New York high school, circa 1964, and the victim is one Miss Sylvia Barrett, an overwhelmed English teacher. Such subject matter was the focus of Paul VI High School’s Up the Down Staircase, a funny yet moving tale of a rookie teacher’s quest to connect to her unmotivated students.
The task is not an easy one. Sylvia Barrett, played by an exceptional Charlotte Schaner must navigate a clogged bureaucracy of strict administrators and incompetent psychologists in order to reach the students. One student in particular, Joe Ferone (played by C.J. Nucciarone) is intent on dropping out despite his high potential. About to leave the school, she realizes that her teaching has had an effect on her students, who are elated when she opts to stay for the second semester. Ultimately, she manages to get through to the students, and Joe decides to stay in school.
Charlotte Schaner had a daunting task in the role of Sylvia Barrett, for her character was on stage the majority of the show. Her remarkable stage presence and range in character kept the story afloat, and the audience truly rooted for her. She established chemistry early on with a fellow English teacher, Mr. Paul Barringer, an earnest yet flawed heartthrob. Mr. Barringer, played by Jason Donahoe, managed to deftly mix comedy with drama during the course of the play. The character of Joe Ferone would not have worked at all if played incorrectly, yet C.J Nucciarone hit the role spot on, making his unlovable character loved anyway.
The ensembles were crucial to the show. The students and faculty had the difficult task of making memorable characters in a short space of time, usually with only a few lines in a scene. The chaos which opened the play was wonderfully executed, and the chemistry between the students was unmistakable. Several performances especially stood out, such as Melissa Anderson, who played the extremely open schoolgirl Linda Rosen, and Alexandra Dent, whose character Alice Blake falls desperately in love with Mr. Barringer, only to be heartbreakingly turned down.
Technically, the most striking aspect about the show was the lighting. In accordance with the monologues which many times moved the scenes along, spotlights were used which if not precise, would have fallen completely flat. Luckily, Alec Hadinger and Michael Mahoney executed the numerous lighting cues with ease. Dan Browne and Adam Laub also were successful in navigating the sound cues of bustling hallways and ringing bells, which truly added to the atmosphere of the play.
Overall, the cast and crew did an excellent job in bringing this show to life. The individual characters, as well as the collective chemistry of the ensembles, managed to create an atmosphere which would make most teachers run and hide. Because of this, when Ms. Barrett finally does manage to break through to them, it makes it all the more powerful.
Emily O'Connell
Bishop Ireton
Submitted for publication to Times Community Newspapers
"Hiya, teach!" That's how young, idealistic Sylvia Barrett is greeted when she first steps into Calvin Coolidge High School to begin her teaching career. From there, her first lesson is overwhelmed by a blizzard of indecipherable office instructions, petty legal paperwork, and lovable, damaged students. So begins Paul VI High School's humorous and heartwarming production of Up the Down Staircase.
Staircase, set in the 1960's and adapted from the novel by Bel Kaufman, tells the story of Sylvia Barrett (Charlotte Schaner), whose determination to instill a love of literature in her inner city students meets resistance from the bureaucratic administration. Sylvia battles tyrannical administrator J.J. McHabe (Drake Johnson) and indifferent students. Though she finds support from fellow teachers Bea Schachter (Fiona Torres) and Paul Barringer (Jason Donahoe), Sylvia must cope with faculty indifference, insufficient materials, trivial rules, and mountains of paperwork. Before long, Sylvia is torn between frustration with the system and love for her unique, though troubled, students.
The quirky characters developed by Paul VI's lively cast kept the audience fully engaged. As the complex Sylvia, Charlotte Schaner rose to the task and conveyed the teacher's conflicting emotions with impressive poise. Her wonderful performance gave the show a sense of seamlessness. The contrasting personalities of the students and faculty created a believable school atmosphere.
Joe Ferone, the classic misunderstood rebel, and Alice Blake, the shy romantic, were skillfully played by C.J. Nucciarone and Alexandra Dent, each bringing a level of humanity and relatability to their tragic characters. Tyler Robinette quickly became a crowd favorite through perfect comedic timing and facial expressions in his portrayal of the nerdy principal of Calvin Coolidge, Dr. Maxwell Clarke.
Certain students stood out from the ensemble because of their strong characterizations and enjoyable performances, such as the class clown Lou Martin (Adam Laub) and the adorable Rachel Gordon (Allison Heinz). Though there was a slight drop in energy in a few classroom scenes, and some faculty characters were a bit contrived, the students and teachers as a whole effectively won the hearts of both Sylvia and the audience.
The 60's atmosphere was cemented by the creative and colorful period costumes, designed by Sarah Stepka and Frances Palasczcuk, and the charming bouffant hairstyles designed by Ellie McDonnell, Allison Heinz, and Patty Pleta. The sound crew admirably crafted an onstage microphone to echo like a public address system. Though some light cues and spotlights were missed, the technical elements of the show blended nicely and enhanced the performance.
Up the Down Staircase's heartwarming and timeless message reminds us to face our challenges head on. Paul VI's players have certainly done so to great effect with this sad and sweet Staircase.
Leslie Berkowitz
Lake Braddock
Submitted for publication to ShowBizRadio.net
Shouting, confusion, wads of paper landing everywhere. Sound familiar? It’s the first day of school and one of the first scenes in Paul VI’s production of Up the Down Staircase, adapted from Bel Kaufman’s novel of the same name. The novel was adapted into a movie in 1967, and won awards a various film festivals.
Up the Down Staircase is the story of brand-new teacher Sylvia Barrett (Charlotte Schaner), a recent college graduate with a passion for the classics, who has come to teach at an inner-city high school in 1964. Throughout the play, she struggles with if she’s really getting to the students, an absurd and useless school administration, and a relationship with another teacher, Paul Barringer (Jason Donahoe).
Charlotte Schaner played Sylvia Barrett with command. She expressed the character’s wide range of emotions, and was believable. She stood out particularly when she argued with the clear antagonist, the stern and irate administrator J.J. McHabe (Drake Johnson). Their relationship, though dysfunctional, was both funny and at times eye-opening.
A particular standout was Fiona Torres as Sylvia’s fellow teacher and mentor, Beatrice Schachter. Her portrayal was hilarious, and believable. Her physical acting was spot on, and her New York accent never wavered. She knew how to reign in her emotions for serious scenes, and always stayed in character.
The ensemble of students brought energy and life to the show. Though there was mostly comedy, there were moments when each student had his or her own life changing moment. Their spirit really added to the production.
The sound designed by Dan Browne had a few mishaps, but were more than made up for with an excellent design, especially in the hilarious ‘assembly’ scenes. The intricate lighting, designed by Alec Hadinger, was admirable, but was sometimes puzzling.
At times, some of the blocking, especially when the entire ensemble was onstage, was distracting, but the way the ensemble delivered their lines outshone those few occurrences.
Overall, Paul VI’s production of Up The Down Staircase was entertaining and engaging, and was a commendable performance.
Carolyn Darville
Bishop Ireton
Submitted for publication to Panther Press
Can one teacher’s belief in Calvin Coolidge High students in New York City save a class from dropping out? This question was put to the test and proved true in Paul VI High School’s skillfully done Up the Down Staircase.
The comedy was written by Bel Kaufman as a novel in 1965. It was adapted into a comedic play for an inner-city school in New York. The play portrays the story of Sylvia Barrett, an idealistic English teacher who wants to teach her students about classic literature. One student in particular, Joe Ferone, drives Sylvia to inspire her students to be confident in themselves.
As Sylvia Barrett, Charlotte Schaner displayed poise and maturity as the caring teacher in the show. Her confidence and drive inspired the audience to support her cause. Joe Ferone, played by C.J. Nucciarone, used his powerful voice to deliver his words with pointed gestures. His character came across well as the dangerous troublemaker. Young Alice Blake (Alexandra Dent) portrayed the love struck teenager with strong emotion, especially in her devastating scene with Paul Barringer. Jason Donahoe played the role of Paul Barringer, an English teacher, with energy and vivid facial expressions.
Overall, the cast interacted very well together. Powerful supporting characters included the comical Beatrice Schachter (Fiona Torres) who used expressive body language throughout the show. Frances Egan (Ellie McDonnell) skillfully played her character as the shy, yet strong school nurse. Lou Martin (Adam Laub) depicted the class clown with his boisterous nature. Tyler Robinette played Dr. Maxwell Clarke, the principal through his hysterical character voice. Finally, Rachel Gordon (Allison Heinz) depicted her student character well with focused reactions to ensemble scenes.
Despite some sound problems, the cast remained focused and energetic throughout the show. During the entire show, the cast created memorable characters within the tight ensemble.
Designed by Sarah Stepka and Frances Palasczcuk, the costumes proved to be very effective in the show with different period styles for each character. Lighting was also beneficial to the performance. The show was brilliantly student directed by John Curry. The creativity of his direction sparked the performance.
Paul VI did an impressive job with Up the Down Staircase through witty comments, compatible ensemble work, and noteworthy performances. The play concluded that one could find a way to follow the Up and the Down staircase.
Kate McGinnis
Chantilly
Submitted for publication to Panther Press
The 60s were alive again at Paul VI Catholic High School with their production of Up the Down Staircase. Full of energy, this cast takes on the many dilemmas of inner-city schools with full force.
Up the Down Staircase is the tale of a naïve teacher, Miss Sylvia Barrett, teaching at a tough inner-city school. Miss Barrett struggles to reach her students through all the paperwork protocol while giving them the same passion for learning that drives her. The episodic plot follows the troubles of several students and teachers.
Idealistic Barrett, played by Charlotte Schaner, enters Calvin Coolidge High on her first day with the lofty goal of deep discussion on first impressions. Then reality and the student body hit and it’s a struggle for her to even get through attendance. Schaner develops a wide range of emotion, from the initial naïve outlook that leads her right into a comic whirlwind of teaching to the passionate woman fighting for her students’ attention. The different facets of the character were strong, even when the transitions were muddled. Miss Barrett’s idealistic mindset starkly contrasts the administration's bureaucracy, where it’s more important to correctly manage the paperwork than teach a class.
While some characters were unbelievable and over the top, the strong ensemble of faculty members breathed life into stilted moments. Ellie McDonnell played the classic school nurse comically dispensing cups of tea and calling for a hot breakfast. McDonnell also displayed her character's depth when she despairingly confessed that bureaucratic red tape held her back from actually helping the students. The bumbling principal Dr. Maxwell Clarke, played by Tyler Robinette, clearly had no control of his school as evidenced by his struggles with the podium microphone.
In the student ensemble, each and every actor had a unique character, engaging the audience in their individual trouble, although at times the high energy tended to upstage important scenes. Jose Rodriguez played by Tommy Hodge, the slouchy back-row loner blooms under the care of Miss Barrett. Alice Blake (Alexandra Dent) struggles with her unrequited love for Mr. Barringer, the suave passionate English teacher, played by Jason Donahoe. C.J. Nucciarone played the no-good delinquent, Joe Ferrone, that all the teachers have given up on. Miss Barrett sees the potential hidden behind the tough-guy attitude and strives to make Joe care.
Student director John Curry skillfully brought the sometimes disjointed storyline to the stage. Because the plot is mainly advanced through memos, letters, and notes from the suggestion box, the show could easily have been slow and incoherent. Instead, strong characters and creative use of space held the audience’s attention. Sarah Stepka’s and Frances Palasczcuk’s costumes did a great job identifying and defining characters.
A classic story of teenage plight and a first time teachers’ mistakes, Paul VI’s Up the Down Staircase, translated across time, warming the audiences’ hearts at its classic humor and inspiring message.
