— by Cara Russell —20150115_140448The Orcas Christian School theatre class showed the community that one doesn’t need a stage to put on a performance; the aisles of Island Market will do just fine. Around 2PM on Thursday January 15, the six member Beginning Theatre class at The Orcas Christian School, led by teacher Jane Alden, surprised unsuspecting shoppers with a staged improv performance.

Alden has been teaching the students since September. Today was the final day of this one-semester, elective class. The students were certain that they wanted to do Street Theatre, and decided the Market was the suitable location. Alden talked to the store managers, as well as with some of the staff who would be involved in the skit. They wrote up an outline of what they would do, and with no real rehearsal, the performance was organic.

Each student went into the market with a different ‘made-up’ agenda, (one wanted a job in the meat department, one was trying to find the right size bone for his new dog, one was looking for a piece of fruit and pretended to lose an earring in the produce section, one was hiding from another one who wanted him to drive her back to school).

When they were all in place, the final student entered the store, ordered some Jojo’s, then with much gusto, proceeded to ‘flip out’ over how fantastic they were. She then shared them enthusiastically with customers and students and anybody else she saw. One by one each student tasted the jojo’s, and then marched to the Deli and ordered more, eventually giving three big cheers to the person who made them.

How did they make their exit from the store? Through a Conga line, singing “We Are Family.”

The students were: Alaena Comrie, Adia Dolan, Cameron Aragon, Chase Kantrud, Cyrus Amour, and Emily Toombs.

Island Market has allowed other improvised performances and flash mobs in the past. We can only assume that there will be more interesting forms of creativity to come, and we will see more from the Orcas Christian School Theatre Class as well.

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