On February 6, Yew Chung International School of BeijingSecondary students wowed their friends and family with an exciting and comical evening at the theatre. “Laughter and Latte – A Night of Two One-Act Plays” brought together students from Years 6-13 to showcase their artistic talents, as well as to support the Help a Child Smile (HACS) charity in Beijing.

Daniel Pearton, Head of the Arts at YCIS Beijing, explains more, including the valuable lessons in teamwork that students learned during the months of preparation leading up to the performance.

Young Talents

The Years 6-8 Production, “The Next Generation”, was a comedic performance about the myriad ways that phones have changed our lives. Amongst an ensemble of terrific performances, it was wonderful to see Year 7 student Aliya Drisner shine in such a large role.

Meanwhile, the Years 9-13 production “We Open Tomorrow Night” was based on the premise of a group of students woefully unprepared for a school talent show that is meant to take place the following evening. All of the students did a wonderful job, and with many references to teachers and situations from their real-life experiences at YCIS Beijing, the audience was thoroughly entertained.

As a part of the co-curriculum programme, preparations for the drama production began well before Christmas. Students devoted Monday afternoons and even a couple of Saturdays to rehearsals – a commitment that paid off in full on the night of the performance.

Yet, though the audience will long remember the sights and sounds of the evening, for the students themselves, it’s the teamwork and relationships that they built during their experience that will stay with them for years to come.