Rich cultural and historical tales will unspool on stage this weekend in Milton's spring production, Arabian Nights. The script is playwright Mary Zimmerman’s adaption of the legendary collection of Persian stories, The Arabian Nights: The Book of 1,001 Nights.

“The focus of the tales is the strength of women,” says performing arts faculty member, Dar Anastas. “In a society where women had no official power, the stories show the ways in which they do have power.”

The stories, interwoven with dance and music, revolve around two main characters—Shahryar, the Persian king and Scheherezade, his new wife.

“The storytelling is really cinematic, so the challenge is to capture this sense and make the production flow from story to story,” says Dar.

Dar plans to extend the stage out into the seating area and surround the stage on three sides, bringing the audience members into the story. Four students are helping Dar design unique and fantastical sets and lighting. Moving elements will evolve with the action and the production promises surprise scenic moments.

Arabian Nights will fill King Theatre on Thursday, May 17, and Friday, May 18 at 7:30 p.m., and on Saturday, May 19 at 7 p.m.
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This summer Milton will welcome José Luis Ruiz as the School’s new dean of students. José was most recently the associate dean of students and director of residential life at St. Mark’s School in Southborough, Massachusetts. José has been active in independent school life for many years and in numerous, valuable roles. He is a graduate of Westminster School in Simsbury, Connecticut, and has worked in independent schools for the last 13 years.

José’s experience in the classroom is extensive; he taught both introductory and advanced levels of Spanish at St. Mark’s and at Westminster. José majored in Spanish at Middlebury College and has completed work toward his master’s in education at Teachers College of Columbia University.

As director of the residential life program at St. Mark’s, José supported a staff of 11 dorm heads in managing their houses and oversaw all aspects of dormitory life. He helped implement school-wide initiatives in student life, advising, discipline and health services. In his role as associate dean, José worked most closely with the school’s student leaders, supporting and overseeing their selection process and programming.

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Newly elected head monitors Jessica Li (II) and Nick Maragos (II) have taken up the mantle as school leaders from outgoing head monitors Molly Gilmore (I) and Tom Schnoor (I). Jessica and Nick have moved into the office in the Schwarz Student Center, and they are already planning for the 2012–2013 school year.

“Overall, we want to set a positive and enthusiastic tone, especially through assemblies,” says Nick. “We want to pick up from Molly and Tom’s energy and start new traditions and School-wide events that everyone will remember.”

The head monitor election is an involved process. Over the course of a week in mid-April, each one of ten boys and three girls—self-nominated—made his or her case to all students and to the faculty about serving as one of the two head monitors for the 2012–2013 year. On April 11, ten male candidates delivered three-minute speeches to a packed house in the ACC. Students, Classes IV through I, could then rank the nominees online in order from one through ten. The three boys receiving the highest-ranking votes delivered longer, final speeches, with the three female candidates on April 17. Students voted that evening, until 11 p.m. Vote totals and election results were announced the following morning.

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