Clarke M.S. becomes a world of pure imagination

The W.T. Clarke Middle School Drama Club recently invited the community to step into a world of pure imagination.

For their spring musical, the students performed “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.” The children staged the play, based on the classic Roald Dahl children’s tale, on May 20 and 21.

East Meadow School District officials said the play is about an enigmatic candy manufacturer named Willy Wonka, who holds a contest for five individuals to tour the Wonka factory and receive a lifetime supply of candy if they find a golden ticket in his delicious candy bars. Four of the five winning children are insufferable brats, they noted.

Charlie Bucket, the fifth child, is a likeable young boy who takes the tour in the company with his equally amiable grandfather, officials said. Parents, school staff and community members watched along as the characters, depicted by many Clarke students, learned to follow Wonka’s rules in the factory — or suffer the consequences.

Faculty members Patricia Hartman and Katie Pienkos directed to production. The cast and crew received standing ovations for their performances, officials noted.