Students from Assumption College School’s Grade 12 drama class have been preparing a stage adaptation of the 1989 film Dead Poets Society.
Their teacher, Naomi O’Neill, said the performance is a culmination of what they’ve learned throughout their four years of studying drama.
Originally directed by Peter Weir and written by Tom Schulman, Dead Poets Society is a coming-of-age story that takes place in Vermont in 1959. The film is about a charismatic English teacher at an all-boys boarding school who encourages his students to pursue their own passions, challenge strict school traditions, and of course, appreciate poetry and find their own voices.
Although the Assumption students are staying true to the original plot, they’ve also put their own twist on the story.
“Think of it as Dead Poets Society 2.0. Instead of an all-boys school, it’s an all-girls school and the English teacher, Mr. Keating, is now Miss Keating,” said O’Neill. “And while the film includes the poetry of Walt Whitman, Robert Frost and the greats, we’ve also added in E. Pauline Johnson, Margaret Atwood and some other female writers that are local, as well as Canadian.”
The drama teacher went on to say that because the plot revolves around students who are in their final school years, it’s a story many of the Grade 12 students can relate to.
“Because it’s set in a school, they can connect to a lot of things that are happening in their own lives that mirror the story,” said O’Neill. “There’s unrequited love, there’s battling with everyday philosophies, and because some of them are in their final years of school, there’s the pressures of what they’re going to do with their lives and what comes next for them too. For a lot of our Grade 12s, that’s exactly what they’re feeling right now. They’re dealing with pressure from their parents and their teachers, and they’re dealing with the pressure to get high grades and to have good friends. It’s a story that I think that really resonates with them.”
Tylah Rattie, 17, who will be playing the role of Nancy (Neil Perry in the original film), said she and her fellow classmates originally picked something else for their final production, but ultimately decided to go with Dead Poets Society.
When asked what she personally liked about the story, Rattie said it was the underlying theme of following your own path.
“I like the message of being yourself and doing what you want to do, and not letting others dictate your dreams for you,” she said. “The idea that you shouldn’t do something to make someone else happy, but that you should do something because it makes you happy.”
Rattie’s classmate, Margarita Caravez, 17, is playing the role of Knox and shared similar sentiments.
“Dead Poets Society is really about how you kind of have to chase your own dreams no matter what your parents say,” said Caravez. “I think a lot of parents tend to hold their kids back, but kids are going to do it anyway; as long as it’s not illegal and they’re not throwing their lives away, you’re better off to support them and let them pursue their dreams. And if there’s something people will take away from the show, I hope they take away that idea of taking a chance. Because if you don’t take that chance, you’re ultimately going to regret it.”
Peyton Squire Johnson, 17, who is playing the role of Miss. Keating later added that she hopes everyone will see how invested the students are in doing the story justice.
“I want them to see how passionate we are about the story, and hopefully we portray it in a way that makes them feel something. They’re all so talented and they all have their own strong suits. When we all come together and we’re all working together, we really do make some magic,” she said. “I’ve been working with quite a few of these people for three years now, so it’s been a lot of fun to see each of us grow and develop, and just become better and better on the stage. I think this is a really important story and I’ve had a lot of fun with everyone. It’s been a little stressful, but I know we’re going to miss it when it’s over.”
O’Neill later added that she’s enjoyed getting to see her students step into their roles and take something away from her class.
“As a teacher, it’s a really cool process to see when it finally clicks for somebody who has doubted themselves,” she said. “There’s a couple students who are very shy, but who just come alive on the stage and shine, and I live for that moment.”
For those who are interested in seeing the Grade 12’s rendition of the Dead Poets Society, the students will be performing it on Thursday, May 28, at Assumption College School.
Noting that the plot deals with aspects of mental health and mature subject matter, O’Neill said the production will include a content advisory.
“I think one thing to mention is that there is a mental health piece, and we are letting people know there is mature subject matter,” she said. “We’re going to have social workers on standby and a little disclaimer as well, because part of the story is very dramatic and those kids do it justice for those scenes.”
Kimberly De Jong’s reporting is funded by the Canadian government through its Local Journalism Initiative.The funding allows her to report rural and agricultural stories from Blandford-Blenheim and Brant County. Reach her at kimberly.dejong@brantbeacon.ca.
