Another reason is that Wrinkle was her breakthrough book that opened new doors to life’s possibilities, just as acting and staging this play will do for the students.

L’Engle began writing short stories when she was very young, the same age as many North Country students performing, directing, and working tech for the play. She kept on writing them right through college. Many of her earlier works were very autobiographical, based on her life experiences, and the writing provided her with a safe space to explore her emotions and feelings.

I first met L’Engle in 1986, a few years before “A Wrinkle in Time” was staged as a play. At the time, she was an artist-in-resident at the Cathedral St John the Divine, a bit of heaven for her with the chickens and peacocks roaming the grounds, the shouts and laughter of the Cathedral School students, and the liturgy and music. L’Engle was a life-long-Episcopalian and her good friend was Canon West, the Canon Sacrist, Canon Residentiary, and Master of Ceremonies at the Cathedral and who was an authority on religious architecture, heraldry and symbols; his and my apartments were just down the hall from her studio.

The Cathedral was and remains a magical place, as is North Country School, so much so that L’Engle would have felt right at home. Important to know is that L’Engle never considered herself a children’s book author or one for young adults. Throughout her life, she remembered all the feelings and emotions of youth and all the ages she experienced over her long life.

L’Engle viewed herself as an author with hopes that young and old would enjoy, take pleasure in, and find inspiration in her writing, as the cheering audience and happy students and faculty certainly did on May 21 and 22 at North Country School.

“Two of my grandchildren are in the play, and another is playing in the orchestra,” said Karen Johnston, the mother of play director Courtney Allen. “I think everything about the school is exceptional, especially how accepting everyone is of each other. They learn how to negotiate and make things work; they know how to work together. The teachers are all so giving.”

“We are so impressed by how ambitious the show is,” said husband Matthew Johnston. “There are so many technical aspects between the lighting, the sound, special effects, props, rigging that features kids flying through the air, and the sets; the kids do it all. They run the show.”

When the show starts, the faculty advisors step aside. The students take on every aspect of the performance, from running the lights and sound to giving the student stage hands and actors their cues, performing the music, hooking up and flying the lead actors, changing the sets, managing the props, and, of course, acting. The props and sets were designed and fabricated by the students, guided and mentored by Larry Robjent, who taught them the needed construction skills like welding, framing, and paper mache.

“The arts are essential to our children and the programming,” said Todd Ormiston, NCS executive director. “Our mantra is ‘Art Every Day.’ The arts are especially important to middle school-aged kids. The need to explore, create, and learn, and learn that the arts are a very safe space for that. On the stage, they can be their best selves; it’s a very supportive environment, and they spend an incredible number of hours creating and presenting a play like ‘A Wrinkle in Time.’ We love putting kids in situations where they can be powerful and creative, make mistakes, and learn from them.”

“As crew boss, I had to write down all the cues for when the set crew had to move the pieces on and off stage, then let them know when those cues were during the show, and at times, helped to move set pieces on or off stage,” said Keira Tracy-Deuss. “I learned that mistakes happen in theater, and you must adjust, make it work, and keep going.”

The upstairs crew boss was in charge of flying the actors, so she gave the cues to those who rigged the actors, attaching them to their safety harnesses, and then to those who “flew” the actors. Naomi Stracey also ran the raising and lowering of the ball, which, through projections, turned into the earth.

“This was my first time participating in any play and as a crew boss,” said Naomi. “I learned how to be in charge and direct others, telling them what to do.”

Playing Meg, the co-lead actor, was Ivy Lea-Simon’s second time taking on a lead role. Ivy said she loves seeing how everything comes together, with so many people working on many different aspects, from learning lines to designing and constructing sets to creating the music.

“I’d like to continue acting,” said Ivy. “What I like about North Country School is that everyone is so accepting; we can do so many different things here. I love all the opportunities, such as working on a play.”

“This was a very cool experience for me,” said co-lead Rosalie “Calvin” Allen. “I loved the flying and all the sets. I am so lucky to be a part of this play and be at this school. North Country is such an interesting school because it’s so different from every other school I’ve been to; every day is different.”

Presenting “A Wrinkle in Time” has long been a desire of theater teacher Courtney Allen, who decided a year ago that now was the time.

“I have long appreciated this story, a young woman needing to find that confidence and belief within herself, realizing the importance of love and loving other people, and having your own voice,” said Allen. “I thought that was a very important message to put out and spread to the world.”

(Naj Wikoff lives in Keene Valley and has been writing his column for the Lake Placid News since 2005.)