The Class of 2027 performed its “LEGO Ninjago” themed skit on Tuesday, Oct. 1. Starring the six main ninja characters of the LEGO Ninjago franchise — Kai, Jay, Cole, Zane, Lloyd and Nya — the plot followed the conflict between Master Wu, the main characters’ sensei, and antagonist Lord Garmadon over a coveted Homecoming dance ticket. Interspersed between the acting were dances to popular songs such as “the boy is mine” by Ariana Grande and “Rock Your Body” by Justin Timberlake. In the end, Master Wu and the ninjas forgive the evil Lord Garmadon, for stealing their Homecoming tickets, by allowing him to attend the dance alongside them. Overall, 2027 class president Aeshna Chatterji thinks that the sophomores have greatly improved their skit production since their freshman year.
“I think we improved a lot in terms of skit decs,” Chatterji said. “The actors and voice actors were really, really good. We definitely learned to be louder, learned to be bigger onstage. We had a co-ed dance, and we had an actual boys dance that wasn’t choreographed last minute.”
Chatterji, who choreographed and taught multiple dances, notes that everyone involved in preparing spent a lot of time painting the backdrops, rehearsing the choreography and practicing on their own time. Sophomore class vice president and Lord Garmadon’s onstage actor Ronit Kuila agrees that while there were challenges with scheduling, the team pulled through and was able to put their best foot forward for the crowd.
“The most challenging part is matching the level of commitment between every member,” Kuila said. “And I think the way we tackled that challenge was by meeting often, and we really hammered it down that this is something that’s gonna be displayed for the whole school, and since it’s just such a fun experience, surrounded by friends, you’re not going to put in less effort.”
Sophomore Ash Walia, who voiced Jay, agrees that community played a large role in making the process enjoyable. While there were challenges with practices along the way, she would consider being a part of the performance next year because of the fun she had with friends this year.
“I joined late because I didn’t really want to do it at first, but when my friends told me it was really fun, I was like, ‘OK, I’ll just do it,’” Walia said. “Yesterday, we stayed until 6 p.m. rehearsing after school, and it was pretty fun because we got to use the stage for the first time. But overall, I think it’s more fun with friends.”
Chatterji finds that the skit has created a sense of community among the Class of 2027. Given the preparation that goes into organizing each part of the performance, Chatterji feels that all the hard work was worth it for the final result.
“It brings our class together so much because everyone’s working so hard for the same goal,” Chatterji said. “And you can definitely see that at the end — everyone was really excited and happy, high-fiving each other and taking pictures with each other. That’s probably the best part. That’s when all the work pays off.”
