WMS Fall Play: The Seal Wife

By ZAHRA KALEEM AND DANIELLA XUE AND RESEARCH DONE BY MAGGIE REYNOLDS 

This year at WMS the Fall play was called The Seal Wife. It was based on a story from the Scottish myth of the selkies. Selkies are mythical creatures of the sea. They are seals, who when the moon turns full they take off their seal skin and walk upon land as humans. 

The story takes place long ago on a small ocean shore. The tale of the seal wife follows a young selkie whose pelt is stolen by a lovestruck fisherman, leaving her stranded on the shore. The fisherman proceeds to trick her into marrying him. She lives with him for 14 years, sparsely remembering her old life. Until, one fateful day, she finds her cape, and realizes what the husband has done to her, and how he tricked her. The tale was sorrowful and tragic, but it ends on a bittersweet note. 

Auditions were in early September, and the thirty-five individuals who were lucky to get parts worked very hard to put on a show. The main characters were called the Seal Wife and the Fisherman, and there are also seven narrators and children. Along with these, there were other selkies and a huge sea ensemble who worked hard to make it really seem like an underwater world. Instead of using props, The performers in this show primarily use their bodies, miming out what they are saying, and leaving it up to you to use your imaginations. The shows were on November 2nd and 3rd, but before that, the school got to watch their “final dress rehearsal”. This wonderful play was directed by our school drama teacher, Ms. Lopez, along with alot of contributors who helped make this show, show. We hope this inspires you to do the winter musical, and even if it doesn’t, maybe knowing that the play has an afterparty with cake and pizza will!