“The Plot Thickens!”

Written by Josefino Rivera, Upper School Language and Literature/Theatre Teacher

How a Fast-Paced Spy Farce Unlocked Belonging and Built Changemakers in the Upper School
Intro to Theatre at ISP is far more than a curricular course; it is a dynamic laboratory for personal growth, empathy, and social connection. While audiences see a polished final performance, the true magic happens behind the scenes during the grueling, exhilarating, and occasionally ridiculous journey of rehearsals. This semester, the Upper School Intro to Theatre class took on Patrick Barlow’s The 39 Steps: Abridged, transforming a fast-paced, magnificently melodramatic spy thriller into a masterclass on how the arts can cultivate inclusive communities and inspire the changemakers of tomorrow.

Building a Culture of Radical Belonging (And Fast Costume Changes)
By its very nature, The 39 Steps: Abridged is an exercise in extreme teamwork. The play features a dizzying array of over 60 characters, lightning-fast costume changes, and split-second comedic timing, all executed by a small, tightly-knit ensemble. In this show, if one person drops the ball, the entire British Empire falls.

In this environment, inclusivity wasn't just a goal; it was an operational necessity. The production brought together a diverse group of Upper Schoolers, spanning grades 9-10, cultures, and theater backgrounds. Because the success of a fast-paced farce relies entirely on mutual reliance, the drama room quickly became a safe haven. Students learned to embrace vulnerability, laugh at their mistakes, and "hand over the top-secret plans" of creative collaboration to one another.

Through this shared vulnerability, walls came down. "Are you sure there's no mistake?" a timid student might have wondered on day one, eyeing a script that required them to play a pilot, a Scottish innkeeper, and a variety show performer all in the span of the hour-long show. But as they rehearsed the chaotic physics of physical theatre, they found themselves anchored to a community where their unique quirks were celebrated as essential assets. The stage became the ultimate equalizer, a space where every single student discovered a profound sense of place, belonging, and the proper way to gasp dramatically upon being stabbed.

From Performers to Changemakers: "The Plot Thickens!"
How does a 1930s spy spoof create changemakers? The answer lies in the sheer amount of creative agency and problem-solving the script demands.

The 39 Steps notoriously requires the cast to stage elaborate set pieces like a high-speed train chase, a plane crash, and a trek across the misty Scottish moors using little more than a few chairs, a hand-held window frame, and boundless imagination. Faced with these challenges, ISP students couldn't just rely on passive direction, they had to become active creators, constantly pivoting when "the plot thickens!"

• Creative Agency: Students collaborated to design innovative stage business, re-imagine props, and choreograph their own chaotic transitions, learning that "what we need is a little missing finger" of clever ingenuity to make a scene work.
• Critical Thinking: They constantly asked, "How can we convey a massive biplane chase with two stools, cardboard, and shadows?"—a question that, at its core, builds the exact same resourcefulness required for social innovation and real-world change.
• Resilience: When a comedic bit fell flat during rehearsals, they didn't give up. They iterated, tested new runtime gags, and realized that "there is no turning back now, we are in Scotland!"

By taking ownership of the creative process, students realized that they possess the power to shape narratives, challenge constraints, and invent solutions out of thin air. This is the very definition of a changemaker: someone who looks at a limitation and says, "Right, let's put on a trench coat and fix this."

Voices from the Ensemble
The true impact of the production is best heard from the students and educators who lived to tell the tale:

“At the start of the semester, many students were hesitant to take up space or throw themselves into the physical comedy. But as they realized the classroom was a zero-judgment zone, their confidence skyrocketed. Seeing them evolve from passive script-readers into assertive creators who advocate for their own artistic visions has been incredible. They really learned how to ‘clear the track’ for their own potential.”

Josefino Rivera, Upper School Theatre Teacher and Director

The Ripple Effect
The curtain may have fallen on The 39 Steps: Abridged, and the trench coats have been packed away, but the lessons learned in the theater will echo far beyond the stage. The empathy developed by stepping into another character's shoes, the resilience forged through creative problem-solving, and the deep bonds of belonging built across the cast are tools these students will carry into their academic lives and future careers.

At ISP, theatre is not just about teaching students how to project their voices or hit their marks; it is about teaching them how to collaborate, how to innovate, and how to build a more inclusive world one ridiculous accent at a time.

Link to full film.