Theater comes back to IN-Tech middle school

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The middle school auditorium at IN-Tech Academy was brimming with energy on April 30. The student cast of “Once on This Island” had just finished their second dress rehearsal and were running around the stage in a flurry of excitement.

The one-act musical was IN-Tech’s first middle school musical since 2007, according to Assistant Principal James O’Toole.

It came about thanks to Michelle Moeritz, an opera singer turned special education teacher who helped IN-Tech win a Department of Education grant to establish a robust, lasting theater department.

That enabled eighth grade student Joshua Rivera to act in a play for the first time.

“This whole experience has made me think outside the box and to be more outgoing, because I’m so tuned into other things like football and stuff, so this is just all new and I enjoyed it,” he said.

Fellow eighth grader and football fanatic Luis Ocasio agreed. He said he is used to singing by himself, but being in the play has given him more confidence.

“When I do this, I feel like I would want to do more. I would want to do this and have somebody look at me and say, ‘He should be doing something bigger than this. He should be doing Broadway shows,’” he said.

Emily Molina, who is in sixth grade, described “Once on This Island” as the perfect first play for her.

“A lot of the music that the production has, I could really connect with it in a way and that was really cool,” she said while Joshua and Luis nodded.

Ms. Moeritz said she and other staff chose “Once on This Island” because they thought it would be the most relatable for students.

“Our population is about 98 percent Hispanic, mostly from the Dominican Republic, from the Caribbean Islands, and this takes place on a Caribbean Island,” explained Ms. Moeritz. “If you listen to the music, there’s lots of Afro-Caribbean beats going on in the background, so we thought this would be a wonderful introduction to this world of theater.

“We know how important it is that the students’ culture and background and experiences are validated and connected to everything we teach them,” she continued. “Because that’s what they deserve.”

The cast of the play included both general education and special education students.

IN-Tech Academy, Broadway Juniors program, Michelle Moeritz
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