North Shore High Schoolers Take the Stage

If there's one thing that can be said about students at , it's that they're no strangers to juggling commitments.

This past weekend, students from the college preparatory school put on a production of "Miss Norris is Missing" as their winter play. Running for two nights only—Friday and Saturday—in the Diller Theatre.

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The plot follows an affable young teacher, Miss Norris, whose students have figured out they can take advantage of her lenient demeanor. But in a sudden twist, Norris vanishes completely, and the students are stuck with a substitute, the tough-as-tacks Viola Swamp—who quickly sets about piling on the homework and ending what was formerly known as recess.

As the students continue to encounter Swamp's ruthless detention policies, they long for the old days with their previously agreeable teacher. So they set out on a quest to discover the mystery behind her sudden disappearance and restore her to her rightful place at the head of her classroom.

What followed is an all-stops-pulled, rollicking comedy charged with the trials and travails of the desperate students.

But beyond being a worthy laugh factory, the play has proven something about North Shore Country Day School students:  They're not shy about having a full plate.

"If you think about having to get their homework done, memorize lines, practice volleyball and play against other schools, they have to do a lot to stay on top of things," said Maggie Scannell, the girls' varsity basketball coach, who has several players on both the court and the stage. "It's always impressive to see how much the kids are doing outside the classrooms."

Beyond proving to be a challenge in logistics and time management, Scannell said that the play displays a certain personality and sense of humor that's a mirror of the school as a whole.

"It's full of humor and rich characters," Scannell said. "It's a comedy, and it's commentary on school structure. The nice thing about North Shore is that my athletes are able to participate in the play. They're very well rounded, and it's understood that both [volleyball and the play] are a high priority."

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