Congratulations to our 21 talented elementary school thespians, whose world-premiere of “Threads of Destiny,” a tale of the Silk Road, showed them at their best. Producer, director, and writer Dan Scranton also deserves rave reviews, as does his production team of Ms. Judy, Ms. Alison, Ms. Cici, Ms. Xia Ling, Ms. Natalia, and Ms. Sherla.

Of course, the students showed us their best. One of the things I love about student plays is the feeling kids develop around agency, the capacity to own their experience and make their own choices. For some of the same reasons sports are great for students (they’re largely in charge when the whistle blows and the game begins), theater productions allow students to build confidence, self respect, discipline, teamwork, and mastery. Children learn their lines and the curtain is drawn back, but to bring a script to life requires so much more. They have to overcome any butterflies they might have. They have to build a rapport with each other and the audience. They have to inhabit their characters. Our talented students did so with dedication, energy, and panache. Well done all!