The Sherman Central School District presented the musical rendition of The Phantom Tollbooth, based on the book by Norton Juster.

Andrew Minton, who co-directed the performance with Sally Berg, said he was overwhelmingly pleased with the production.

“In those moments, after the final performance, when we are all together on stage and I look around and see the smiles on the students’ faces, and the tears of joy, accomplishment and pride … I am so happy and thankful to get to be a part of making these memories and life-changing experiences for these students,” he said.

This year was particularly exciting, Minton said, because they were able to perform before a live audience. Last year, the performance was recorded and released on a pay-per-view basis, he said.

Milo (Taryn Palmatier) finds himself stuck in the land of the Doldrums.

“It was so nice to be this much closer to ‘normal’ and do a show in front of a real crowd,” Minton said. “I think everyone present this weekend appreciated being there together and the kids did two fantastic performances.”

Minton said he felt the students in the musical had a great time.

“Kids were beaming and excited through the nights of the show. During rehearsals it was clear many times that all were thankful to be doing this together and they wanted the best show they could make,” he said.

Minton said at the beginning of the year they were not sure whether COVID protocols would allow them to do a musical. This put them a few weeks behind schedule when they decided to go ahead with it.

“The kids (and directors) had to work harder and faster than usual, so seeing it all come around and watching ‘the show’ take form was even more rewarding than normal,” he said.

The “great watchdog” Tock (Curtis Smith) accompanies Milo (Taryn Palmatier) on his journey.

The Phantom Tollbooth, a children’s fantasy classic, tells the story of a boy named Milo who thought school was a collosal waste of time. He unexpectedly finds a magic tollbooth in his room, which transports him to the Kingdom of Wisdom. There he journeys with a dog named Tock to find the kingdom’s two exiled princesses, Rhyme and Reason. As he goes along, he learns valuable life lessons and acquires a genuine love of learning.

Minton said the COVID protocols made the show difficult to do. One of the hardest things was that the students had to wear masks at all times except when singing and at a distance, he said.

“Although the students were great with the masks, it changed a lot of how they sound and how we hear them,” he said. “We had to address this in rehearsal and work with the kids to act with their bodies to enhance the message, and in some cases, to simply let the audience know who was talking or singing.”

Minton said the most rewarding aspect of the production was seeing the effect it had on the students.

“Watching the students perform — when they know their show so well that they elevate beyond reading lines and remembering words and you know they are truly creating,” he said. “I heard countless times from our younger and new cast and crew members that they can’t wait for next year so they can do it again, or that they are now planning to join the drama club.”

Milo (Taryn Palmatier) and the dog, Tock (Curtis Smith) arrive in the city of Dictionopolis.

The Mathemagician (Christopher Eades) and his brother King Azaz (Ivy Yokum) refuse to listen to their sisters, the princesses Sweet Rhyme and Pure Reason (Elliot Thompson and Sophie Lindsey) Photos by David Prenatt