On Wednesday, May 2, Carolina Forest’s German IV class took to the stage and performed their rendition of Sleeping Beauty! The play was a great way to introduce students to the German language and to test the German class on their verbal prowess.

The class production of Sleeping Beauty took an estimated two and a half weeks to put together and perform. The German students had various jobs that had to be completed before the final production of the play; designing and painting the backdrops of the set, casting roles and practicing their lines.

“My favorite part of the play process was designing the set and setting everything up on the stage,” shared Brandon Davis, the actor who played the King in the play.

When producing a play, many obstacles can hinder the final production. The issue of having a small class did not stop the students from performing, as they took it upon themselves to portray multiple roles at once. However, this German IV class had one obstacle that was frequent among the students.  Laura Estepa summed it up in three words:  “Remembering our lines.”

Nonetheless, the class very rarely stumbled over their lines when acting on stage. The play may have been short and to the point, as Sleeping Beauty is not a long story, but the class did a wonderful job and has definitely allowed the thought of taking German as a foreign language to invade the audience’s mind.

None of this could have been made possible without the guidance of the outstanding Frau Ehnle, the German teacher. Teaching for roughly four years, Frau Ehnle wanted, and succeeded, to make a positive impact on her students’ lives. This play was definitely a great way to showcase her teaching abilities and to highlight her students’ hidden talent in the performing arts world.

“We had a lot of fun, and most students were really thrust outside of their comfort zones,” expressed Frau Ehnle, “but still did an amazing job!”

Congratulations to the German IV class for their successful adaptation of Sleeping Beauty! The German class is definitely a class worth considering when looking to take a foreign language!