Clad in a flowing, black velvet dress with red accents, she stood, tied to a wooden stake, with shredded paper covering her feet.

At once, her eyes grew large and her tone, serious. She looked around wildly and held her captive audience as she fell into character.

"Did you hear that?" she asked. "Look! Over there! St. Michael! He's standing right there! You think I'm crazy, or even a witch, right?

"For these reasons I was burned at the stake at the age of 19. I am Joan of Arc."

Seventh-grader Patty Baniul was just one of many Brookfield Middle School students who transformed themselves Thursday evening into some important historical figures of the last 1,000 years.

The community was invited to spend the evening with the seventh-graders as they put on "The 100 Most Influential People of the Millennium" program.

Charlotte Sirianni, a math teacher, encouraged guests to go in and meet some of the most important people in history.

Guests got to hear each youngster, in full costume, breathe life into his or her particular character by giving a presentation based on the person's achievements. The students also prepared backboards containing informational tidbits about their characters.

Some of the people represented were Steven Spielberg, Marco Polo, Adolph Hitler, Immanuel Kant, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Michelangelo, Elvis Presley, Sir Isaac Newton and Bill Gates.

Jonathan Varner, looking the part with a curly white wig covering his head, dove right into his role as James Watt, the creator of the steam engine.

"I feel that without my invention, our country would be greatly lacking in education, travel and economy," he said, waving his hand.

Varner said while he didn't think he would have much fun at first, he "learned way more than I thought I ever would."

Dressed in a long silver skirt and old-fashioned white crepe blouse, Kaitlin Masotto said she was a little nervous, but happy that she got to be author Jane Austen.

"I like my person because she's a girl, and I can relate to her," she said.

Charles Robinson transformed himself into the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Robinson said he learned a lot about the civil rights leader from the project.

"I learned that he was extremely nonviolent, he skipped ninth and 10th grades and he was born at home at noon," he said. Robinson added that he thought the presentations were good and he "may want to do it again."

Students weren't the only ones dressing up. Teachers, such as eight-months-pregnant Kristen Foster, also got dolled up in period pieces.

Ms. Foster said the entire program was great because the children worked very hard to get their roles just right.

"We've been working for the past nine weeks and the students have put a great deal of time into it," she said. "It's very exciting."

David Mischick, a science teacher, dressed up as no one in particular; he called himself a renaissance man.

"These students -- this is their shining moment," Mischick stated. "This is the kind of community support Brookfield can demonstrate when we have interesting learning activities."

Many parents who attended also received brief history lessons.

Judy Baker, whose son Bryan presented the life of women's rights author Mary Wollstonecraft, said she appreciated the program because she picked up knowledge.

"It was a lesson for me because I'd never heard of her," she said. "The kids really enjoyed it and had a lot of fun."

Funding for the program was provided by a grant from the Warren Area Chamber of Commerce Education, Cultural and Civic Foundation. The funds were used to buy educational videotapes and books for the students.

William Hawley, a member of the foundation who dealt with the program, was on hand, and he expressed how good he felt about what he saw.

"I thought it was great ... tremendous. I'm very proud and very pleased," he said. "The teachers should be commended. This isn't the type of thing you get to see a lot" with school budgets getting cut.

You can e-mail Herald Staff Writer Patrecka F. Adams at padams@sharonherald.com

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