Defining Madness and the Depths of Boarding School Life

Who actually decided what’s normal? The 11th-grade “Drama” class explored this question in depth with their production “The Perfectly Normal Madness.” As part of what’s known as a “scene collage,” the students brought various theatrical techniques to the stage: expression through movement, rhythm, voice, and props. Visitors learned that much of this depends on the perspective of the audience. It all comes down to what the viewers and listeners make of the messages conveyed.

The DS-Kurs 12 class presented the play *Dead Poets Society*, deliberately exaggerating the routines of a staunchly conservative boarding school and the unconditional support it receives—precisely for that reason—from some traditional parents. Discipline and self-expression are presented here as seemingly irreconcilable opposites; a student’s suicide is attributed to the unconventional teaching methods of a single teacher—because that’s easier than questioning oneself as a parent or the boarding school itself. – A wonderful evening with consistently excellent acting throughout.