The week of Feb. 24, students, teachers and families filled the Performing Arts + Community Center (PACC) for Urban’s winter musical, “Matilda.” After 10 weeks of preparation, the 25-person cast and ensemble — accompanied by a live pit band and tech crew — performed the show, complete with musical numbers, dance sequences and a hand-painted set.
Roald Dahl’s original 1988 novel “Matilda” centers around five-year-old Matilda, a child prodigy with telekinetic powers that she uses to battle her abusive parents and authoritarian principal. The novel’s musical adaptation opened on Broadway in 2013. Urban’s rendition drew inspiration from past performances while also bringing unique interpretations to the show.
“I’m never interested in recreating something exactly the way someone else has already done it,” said Maya Herbsman ’13, drama teacher and “Matilda” director. “Getting to sculpt the world around [the students and] their versions of these iconic characters is what … guide[s] our approach.”
“Matilda” gave many cast members a chance to channel their younger selves. “A lot of us are playing children,” said Si Wyman ’26, who played Matilda. “I think we’ve really been diving into the innocence and playfulness of that.”
“As a senior, going back and playing a child again has almost healed something in me,” said Laia Trachtenberg ’26, who played Mr. Wormwood and a Big Kid. “I think people should definitely be more in touch with their silly side, and that’s something that ‘Matilda’ can definitely grant.”
The 15 main cast members of “Matilda” were part of the UAS Advanced Theater: Musical Production class, which was one of their four block classes for the winter term. After the first two weeks they also attended after-school and weekend rehearsals. Ten ensemble members and some members of the technical crew also attended many of these rehearsals.
During rehearsals, cast members worked to expand their acting and singing skills. “Because a lot of our cast is playing kids, there’s been a lot of exploring extremes in physicality and vocally, and … pushing yourself outside of your comfort zone on stage,” said Katie Carroll ’27, who played Mrs. Wormwood and a Big Kid. “Developing a community that’s not afraid to give it 110% when it’s needed … has been a special part of this show.”
Because of its focus on children, Herbsman has been a fan of “Matilda” for a long time. “I saw it for the first time in 2014 when it was on Broadway, and I’ve loved it ever since,” she said. “I really like doing children’s stories in theatre. And the reason for that is not because I think teenagers need little kids’ stories. … Rather, I think … they can be an accessible way to undertake, examine [and] explore large and relevant topics.”
To some cast members, parts of the show reflected current events in the United States. “I think you could really relate some of the plot to what is happening today — oppressive powers, … standing with the people that you love and doing what you think is right,” said Lucy Cervarich ’28, who played Bruce and Henchman 2.
“‘We are revolting children living in revolting times,’” Cervarich said, quoting the musical’s song “Revolting Children.”
In the musical, Matilda — often with the help of her classmates and Miss Honey, their teacher — finds ways to defy the show’s oppressive figures, from pranking Mr. Wormwood into dyeing his own hair green to scaring Miss Trunchbull with a newt.
In the world of “Matilda,” community is crucial to defying authority. “It’s really hard to feel powerful as an individual, especially when you’re our age and you’re being thrown so much depressing news,” Carroll said. “But if we all use our individual strength collectively, we can actually make a difference, which I think this performance definitely shows.”
Matilda’s age emphasizes how easy it can be to defy authority. “It shows that even kids can do it,” Wyman said. “If kids can stand up to their bullies, then so can we.”
To Herbsman, one of the strengths of “Matilda” is its portrayal of joy within rebellion. “I hear students talk a lot about how they might be able to make … a positive change. And I think sometimes that feels like it has to be really serious,” she said. “But I actually think loving one another and seeing each other’s humanity and having revolutionary joy is actually part of how we make change.”
Students involved in the musical got to try out the three operating swings on the set of “Matilda.” “The glee that I see on our students’ and our adults’ faces when we try out those swings — that, in and of itself, is revolutionary,” Herbsman said.
Urban’s “Matilda” has received a lot of positive feedback, particularly from young audience members. “I don’t think that we’ve gotten this much of a good response [with past shows],” Wyman said. “I keep getting emails that are like, ‘my kids love it, you’re forever their hero.’ I heard one teacher’s kids want to meet us and want to be actors.”
Herbsman shared how she hoped “Matilda” would impact audiences. “I hope people have fun,” she said. “I hope it’s a joyful connection with our inner children, and [that people] maybe feel inspired to say something they’ve been nervous to say, or go find a swing set to swing on.”