Schools
Eighth Grade Playwright Can't Speak or Walk, Finds Voice in Middle School Theater
Resident Meg Moore's skit was featured in a middle school performance, Tuesday. Moore cannot walk or speak.
Although she cannot speak or walk, Meg Moore, an eighth grade student at Memorial Middle School in Middlebury, has emerged as a talented playwright.
“She is extraordinary,” said Madge O’Toole, who teaches drama at both Memorial and Rochambeau Middle School in Southbury.
“She has used non-verbal communication to find her voice as a play-wright,” she said after Meg’s five-minute skit was performed in the school gymnasium this Tuesday following the second of two presentations of The Seuss Odyssey.
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“She went above and beyond what she was supposed to do,” O’Toole said. “She created a hysterical scene out of a small quote.”
Meg, who moved across the stage in a small motorized vehicle, joined her classmates for part of her skit, which was performed following the second of the two Dr. Seuss presentations that were held that night.
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Her mother, Anne Moore, said writing plays is “a new interest” that apparently came as a result of her seeing performances of Beauty And The Beast and The Lion King in Florida and a presentation of Annie at the Palace Theater in Waterbury.
“She has found her voice in writing plays,” O’Toole said.
“She is going to be writing four different plays for the rest of the school year,” she added.
Anne Moore said that Meg is interested in taking creative writing classes this fall when she starts her freshman year at Pomperaug High School in Southbury.
Anne Moore said that Meg has other interests as well. For example, Meg has used a walker to compete in cross country and is currently seeking to achieve the Silver Award in her Girl Scout program. She said she also has played soccer.
“You name it, she likes to try it,” she said.
“As a result of her interests, she has a nice group of friends,” Anne Moore said. “She’s part of the group.”
“It’s not superficial,” O’Toole said of Meg’s interaction with the other members of the Drama Department. “They actually enjoy what she does.”
She said the students chose Dr. Seuss for their performances, which raised money for the drama program, because the famed children’s book characters “attract attention, and it’s something that the kids can have a lot of fun with.”
“It rhymes, so it’s easy to memorize,” O’Toole said.
