Gallery • 8 Photos

Ashveen Saini

Senior Alanis DeSouza acts as King Henry VIII's fifth wife, Katherine Howard, lamenting the way former partners treated her. She was surrounded by the other five wives, played by seniors Sydney Lotz and Zoe Schwartzberg, freshmen Ellie Rose and Adiah Ford and junior Maggie Starr.

The Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School drama class performed their latest production “Six: Teen Edition” on Nov. 14-16 in the school auditorium. The musical, written by Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss, was directed by drama teacher Melody Herzfeld.

“Six” tells the story of the six wives of King Henry VIII. Each of the wives–Catherine of Aragon played by senior Sydney Lotz, Anne Boleyn played by freshman Ellie Rose, Jane Seymour played by junior Maggie Starr, Anne of Claves played by freshman Adiah Ford, Katherine Howard played by Alanis DeSouza and Catherine Parr played by senior Zoe Schwartzberg–share their stories and experiences. The musical mixes history with catchy pop songs to show how each woman experienced love, endured heartbreak and struggled for independence.

The preparation for the show began with auditions held at the end of the 2023–2024 school year. Students auditioning had to sing, dance and read lines to showcase their acting skills. Once the cast was chosen, they began practicing in July. Since then, students have been practicing regularly to get ready for the performance.

Students typically rehearsed daily after school, with each rehearsal lasting around three hours. During that time, students practiced different parts of the show, including singing, dancing and blocking. Blocking is when the cast learns exactly where to move and stand on the stage during their performance.

“It was hard. We would lock ourselves in a room and not leave until we finished every dance,” Schwartzberg said.

The students dedicated countless hours rehearsing, and each rehearsal was intense. Students had to balance it with their other school work and extracurricular activities.

“They rehearsed every single day, and seeing everything come together on stage is the most rewarding part for me,” Herzfeld said.

Herzfeld, who directed the show, was thrilled about this production. She loves theater and cares deeply about her students. She strives to encourage them to be creative and help them grow as performers.

“I couldn’t wait to see the students bring the story of the six wives of Henry VIII to life,” Herzfeld said. “It’s a powerful show that showcases their hard work and talent.”

After months of preparing and rehearsing, the six cast members of this musical were ready to perform and tell the story of the six wives of King Henry VIII.