Wondering why everyone was getting kicked out of the cafeteria after school last week? Well, that was the ILS Drama club taking over for their play, Matilda the Musical. From Monday to Friday, the crew had to stay after school for over four hours, practicing their lines and songs over and over again.

“There was some tribulation, but it was an overall very good experience that taught me a lot about theatre. It taught me how the theatre industry works and how it takes time for the complete piece,” said sophomore Mariana Ferguson.

Clearly, all of that hard work was worth it due to their excellent performances as presented the 11th through the 14th of December. If you have a friend who was a member of the Matilda cast, be sure to congratulate him or her, even if he or she were only working backstage, and not performing on stage.

”I loved hearing people applauding, but I was very stressed backstage like I kept on reading through my lines again and again,” said senior Miguel Suarez-Cabal.

Matilda the Musical was originally based on writer Roald Dhal’s timeless novel, until it eventually was written into a script by Dennis Kelly. The story narrates the life of a girl named Matilda Wormwood (played by sophomore Ana Fajaro)  who is forced to undergo her rude and neglectful parents (cast as Lia Vierio and Ernesto Losada).

Not only does she have to put up with her awful parents, but also the evil strict principal at her school, TrunchBall (played by senior Miguel Suarez-Cabal). Later on when Matilda realizes she has the ability to do telekinesis, she begins to defend her friends from her parents and the terrifying principal.

Ultimately, the cast members absolutely impressed the audience with their passion, talent, and energy.

“I think it went really well despite the fact that we had little time but everyone pulled through and the closing night was amazing,” said sophomore Madison Press.