Becoming Matilda more and more each day

Sixth-grader learning to be brave, confident and have a big vocabulary

By Jill Harry

Do you know how to properly pronounce escapologist? Cranberry sixth-grader Ella Fleeger does. It was one of her first duties when taking on the title part in the Franklin production of “Matilda The Musical.”

The show tells the tale of smart and courageous Matilda Wormwood, a little girl with big dreams. It’s a tall order for the 4-foot, 11-inch Fleeger, who talks with a quiet voice when asked questions. But she says Matilda isn’t that different from herself.

“I like books and sometimes I stand up for people like she does,” Fleeger said of the qualities she shares with the fictional character. “I don’t really prank a lot,” she included about their differences.

This is the third part of a series of stories written by Jill Harry about the production of “Matilda the Musical” at the Barrow-Civic Theatre in Franklin.

Read part one here
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​Read part two here

In May, Fleeger was cast in the lead role of the Franklin Civic Operetta Association’s rendition of the hit musical. Since then, she has squeezed evening practices at home in between softball games and summertime fun. 

The role requires learning four parts of a long story monologue, two large solos, and a slew of other lines and songs. So far, her rehearsals have focused on the stories Matilda tells throughout the show, most of which she has done at home with her mom and dad, Jennifer and Justin Fleeger.

​After reading over and practicing her lines in her room, Fleeger says she finds a parent and gives it a try, noting with a giggle that her mom likes to do voices and read the script notes. 
“I’m way better than them,” she said with a bit of a smirk sneaking through her timid personality.

​”It’s not Ella’s first time on stage, the 11-year-old has done several youth theatre shows, and ensemble parts in a few main stage productions. It is, however, her first major role.

Justin said Ella was at first shy about going for the big part. Then she practiced with theatre friends, including Aoife Salusky and Hannah Faraone, and started to change. “Things really took off from there,” he said.

“We’re probably more nervous than she is, but we are very proud of her and all the hard work she has put in,” Justin said.

Last Thursday night she met with director Jill Lander and showed off her progress, including her increasing ability to shed her bashful persona and instantly become the brave bookworm Matilda.

“She’s really embraced it,” Justin said. “It’s like she flips a switch and becomes a different person.”

He also credits Lander’s direction with helping Ella’s transformation into the intelligently imaginative and sometimes necessarily naughty Matilda. “Ella’s really taken to her (Lander) as far as instruction and everything.”
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“Nice, it gets better every time,” Lander said Thursday after Ella finished one of the stories full of action, adventure and more than a mouthful of 25-cent words. 

U​p next in the schedule is to start learning the songs. Then a few weeks later, she gets to start meeting with the rest of the cast, which happens to include one of Ella’s friends. Makena Shaffer will be playing Lavender.

“She’s my friend out of the play and inside the play,” she said. Ella and Jill are both eager to see how the musical comes together from here. But Ella knows one thing for sure - getting in front of the audience in October will be the prize.
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“I like how the audience reacts to things and to see their expressions,” she said. “I think they will react in a good way if I do a good job.