A fantasy story of family, growth & love

On May 15, 2024, a fantasy story about family, growth, and love called “Encanto” was presented to teachers and students from the International Division of No. 2 High School of ECNU through collaborative efforts of more than 50 students from the Drama Club.

The story about Encanto takes place in a family, where all members are skilled in using magic. However, there is a unique ordinary person named Mirabel, who seems out of place with her family. As the plot develops, this family faces the challenge of losing control of magical power, and the appearance of the wizard forces its members to demonstrate their wisdom and courage to fight against him. As the play draws to a close, the protagonist Mirabel successfully protects her family, and the family overcomes all difficulties through unity and bravery, meanwhile achieving self-growth and family harmony.

The actress Rachel successfully demonstrated the protagonist Mirabel’s tenderness and love through her excellent acting skills. The wisdom and courage she displayed in her role resonated emotionally with the audience.  She said, “I am honored and grateful to be the protagonist of this performance of the Drama Club. Although the process was tiring and difficult, with many lines being memorized and forgotten, and so again, singing until my throat hurt, and worrying before the performance about whether I would embarrass myself on stage, and when I stood on stage, I felt that all the efforts were worth it. During these three months of preparation, I also deeply felt the warmth and strength that the Drama Club brought me. Whether it was helping me correct my singing out of tune, encouraging me to boldly perform during rehearsals, or cheering me on and taking a deep breath the moment before the curtain opens, all of which will become the most beautiful memories in my heart. I am looking forward to the next year’s performance!”

The performances of all actors and actresses added more dimensions and depth to the story, and the audience felt more immersed. Their performances brought the characters to life, allowing students to truly feel the joys and sorrows of the characters, and to experience the adventures and challenges in the story together with them.

Joy portrayed the personality and charm of the character of Isabela through her elegant and lively performance. Her acting skills enabled the audience to feel the process of the character’s growth and development, as well as the importance of the character in the story. She said, “This semester’s Drama Club was undoubtedly an unforgettable experience for me. Encanto, with its large volume and rich details, presented us with a new challenge, but at the same time, with the intention of presenting such a dreamy play to everyone as perfectly as possible, despite the fact that the schedule was tight and details that needed to be paid attention to were constantly emerging, the cohesion demonstrated during each rehearsal with everyone still moved me in retrospect.”

Jason, who played Bruno, also shone brightly on stage, and his character was full of vitality and charm. His character instantly ignited the laughter of the audience and also made them sympathize with Bruno, who was excluded from the family.

Mirabel’s strong and older sister Luisa was played by the highly talented actress Jennifer. Through her performance, the audience felt the stress the character endured, and the emotions she invested in playing the role were also conveyed to the audience’s hearts.

The character of Abuela played by Anke was the source of all expectations and stress of the characters in the play. In her first appearance on the stage of Drama Club in No. 2 High School of ECNU, she took control of the atmosphere of the entire drama and made the audience feel the stress she brought to other family members.

Finally, it is worth mentioning that Director Lisa devoted herself wholeheartedly to the creation and organization of the play, which was also her graduation work. She spent countless days and nights correcting the details and set the highest standards for herself, successfully completing a musical like Encanto with such a superior difficulty.

She said, “I have thought a million times – how great it would be if I could do another play that I truly love, with members of the cast I love. So there was the play “Encanto”, and there was three months of non-sleeping in the Drama Club. It still seems fortunate now that I have met a group of people who are willing to play around with me, and we have really pulled and pushed such a magical drama onto the stage. I am also fortunate, just like Mirabel, for God has bestowed upon me something more important than talent – my excellent and enthusiastic actors and actresses, the directing team, the music director who has done three jobs, two dance directors who have countless brilliant ideas in their minds, and teachers who have been in contact with the Drama Club. They have accompanied me like family every time I have doubts about whether I can complete this play, and every countless collapse and exhaustion moment over the past three months. I am fortunate to have spent the most meaningful three months of my life with you on the occasion of graduating from high school. La Familia Madrid. Love never dies, magic never falls. “

“Encanto” not only provides a surprising and fantastical experience at the story level, but also prompts us to reflect on the inner world and meaning of life. The power of magic in movies symbolizes the unknown and surprises, represents the power of fantasy and miracles, and is regarded as a place of exploration and discovery in the heart, representing the individual’s potential and creativity. This work reminds us to believe in the inner strength, discover potentials, and use them to solve problems and create goodness!