Greetings XCI #2 - Wayland Academy

Introduction
by E. Tyler Graham
After positing that “man is the most imitative of the
animals,” Aristotle, in part IV of his work, The Poetics,
explains that “the reason why men enjoy seeing a likeness is,
that in contemplating it, they find themselves learning or
inferring, and saying perhaps, ‘Ah, that is he.’” The
philosopher suggests that “mimetic” art, or art that
represents and imitates life, has the capacity to shed light on
reality in a way that allows its viewer to gain more access to
the truth. For Aristotle, art has a real function in a
“Lyceum,” even if Plato (his one-time mentor) suggested —
at least implicitly — that the artists might not be well-used in
an “Academy” (see, for example, Book X of Plato’s Republic).
How then does Wayland (an Academy) treat the mimetic
arts? Are the arts used to improve the students’ search for
the truth, or are they shunned or even feared as corruptive of
the “philosophical” enterprise? It appears that the large
diversity of artistic endeavors at the school speak to
Wayland’s healthy embrace of the arts. Today, the school
offers courses in creative writing, stained glass, photography,
orchestra, jazz band, and many other areas, but in this article
students from my journalism class (itself art?) will take a
look at three areas in which the arts are flourishing today:
Musicals, Choir, and Film.
The Musical
By Siyi Wang `10
The musical has been a mainstay at the Academy for many
years now, though it recently has seen a tremendous rise in
popularity under the leadership and direction of Mr. William
Dore III. Mr. Dore, himself a boarding school prodigy,
combines twelve years of musical experience with three years
directing at Wayland to claim significant expertise in this area.
Moreover, he feels that the musicals continue to improve. In
commenting on this year’s performances of Anything Goes,
Mr. Dore said, “This is the happiest I have been with a
musical. It was more organized
than the other years. We
started handing out scripts and
choral books early enough.”
Meanwhile, the student body
seems to be responding to the
higher standards. “Lead roles
are also setting the tone. There
is an increased amount of
energy coming out of them,”
said Dore, a Massachusetts
native and die-hard Red Sox
fan.
William Dore III
Furthermore, the Academy faculty seem to be on board with
the whole program in a way that may not have been seen as
much in the past. According to Dore, there was no negative
feedback by faculty this year. “No teacher was frustrated
with what the time demand of the musical was this year,”
said Dore.
Dore is not alone, though, in making the musical fly to great
heights. He quickly credits the Choir director, Mr. Chris
Mientus, with helping the success of the program. “I make
the ultimate decision” on what musical is being performed,
but “I consult Mr. Mientus, because for me the music is the
most important part,” said Dore.
In general, Dore explains that the “ultimate goal is having a
good time, and that’s what makes it a success.” Dore’s vision
for the future of the musical program is that he sees “a
performing arts center and more dedicated students to the
program.” In the meantime, “The audience has grown over
the years, and I believe the popularity is going to grow… It
just keeps getting better. That has been echoed by parents.”
In a moment of witty reflection, Mr. Dore even hypothesized
that the future of the musical program at Wayland would be
“In outer space, flying automobiles.” In other words, the
sky’s the limit with Dore at the helm!
www.wayland.org 15
ART AT WAYLAND