Seventh Grade Performs 'Don Quixote'

This spring, the seventh grade put on two shows of their extraordinary performance of 'Don Quixote' by Miguel de Cervantes, adaptation by Argentina Palacios and Joseph O'Donnell. Cervantes was a contemporary of Shakespeare, and his work revolutionized storytelling–being seen as an early form of the novel. Like Shakespeare, Cervantes is seen as a prophet of modern humanism. His place in Spanish literature is analogous to Shakespeare's in English literature. 

The play coincided with the seventh grade study of the Renaissance and the birth of modern individualism. The characters of Don Quixote, Sancho Panza, his ambivalent squire, and the Don's chosen lady, Aldonza, are iconic and timeless. Though the story is adapted and in English, the power of Cervantes' story, and of the characters he created, is movingly evident even in translation and adaptation.

The students have worked diligently to incorporate several different types of puppetry and live music into their performance. The play was an incredible tour de force, with dynamic staging and costuming, puppetry, music and wonderful acting. Bravo!

See photos of their production here.