In a well-publicized survey about what people fear most, death came in second, behind public speaking. Standing up in front of an audience can cause extreme anxiety in many people.  And yet, it can be a critically important skill in a number of fields, not to mention when applying for college and interviewing for jobs.

Which is why at MPA we begin at a very early age creating opportunities for students to pactice getting up in front of their peers.  It may be a simple sharing exercise at the youngest levels, but by the time MPA students reach the Upper School, they are among the most consistently confident and articulate public presenters you will ever encounter in a high school setting.

This remarkable grace under pressure was on display in two very different arenas over the last few weeks.  At the Class A state speech tournament on Friday, April 18th, MPA was the only school in a field of 92 schools to earn two individual state championships.  And with nine total medals, MPA was second in the field for total medals earned.  This for a school that is about half the size of the largest schools in the conference.  And it was not a one-year fluke.  Since MPA won a first state speech championship in 1997, we've taken home 21 top prizes.

The two championship medals were won for Extemporaneous Speaking and Serious Interpretation of Drama - two very different skill sets.  In the first category, competitors are required to draw three topics randomly, then choose one to speak about.  Thirty minutes of preparation time are allowed before the speech is delivered without notes.  The second category requires an ability to both interpret dramatic material and to perform it convincingly.  

The other high-wire public appearance event for MPA students this past week was the spring musical theater production of Sweeney Todd.  The musical theater form requires students to combine the complicated skills of acting, singing and dancing in front of large audiences, in time to the shifting beat of an orchestra (also made up of students) under lights run by students, and on sets built and moved by students.  With so many complicated moving parts, it is a wonder these things ever actually come off at all.

The production of Sweeney Todd was another MPA miracle.  And I don't mean a "wasn't my little Johnny cute in that funny costume" kind of a miracle.  This was real theater and our students, whether on stage or behind the scenes, performed with spirit, dedication and professionalism well beyond their years.

The music, lyrics and subject matter of composer Stephen Sondheim's remarkable body of work can be among the most challenging in the American musical theater.  Mounting a production of a work as musically and dramatically challenging as Sweeney Todd carries with it considerable risk.  Full disclosure:  In an earlier career, I directed musicals in educational settings as well as professionally, and I would have hesitated before taking on this challenge at the high school level - anywhere but here at MPA. 

More than anything else the success of this production is the result of the complete MPA educational experience here.  Director extraordinaire Barb Bradley put it best when she wrote:

This is an extremely difficult piece of work.  Our students have seized the challenge with respect for its complexities, and they have joyfully savored the opportunity to do something daunting.  Their capable embrace of the work is in large part due to the wonderful training in the arts they have received throughout their time at MPA. In particular, without the support and guidance given to them by their music teachers, Sondheim's sophisticated lyrics and intricate music would be beyond their reach.

Taking on these kinds of challenges, whether in dress black at a state speech competition or in costume in front of 700 paying customers, builds a kind of confidence that cannot be artificially instilled.  It is the confidence borne of discovering that the thing you feared but dared to try can actually be mastered - that you can really perform - and perform well - when the pressure is on.  It is a confidence that can last a lifetime.