Welcome back to live theatre! Thank you for taking the precautions necessary to help us make this as safe as possible for everyone. The journey we have all taken in the last two and a half years has made me realize just how precious a gift it is to be able to be involved in a production like this. Thank you for being a part of this family and thank you for trusting us with the safety of your children, it is a responsibility we do not take lightly.
This year has been interesting. The isolation of being physically cut off from others was particularly rough on the extroverted hearts of theatre people. This group may be small but they came to me at the beginning of this year hungry to be creating and be back on the stage. They have worked so hard and grown so very much. I am incredibly proud of them.
As a director working with young people I have found that the play itself is only a fraction of the goal. Yes I am very proud of the production these performers have created, but it goes so much deeper than that. Theatre has the potential to be so much more important in a person's life than just the time spent on stage.
It's about artistry yes, and technical skills. But it's also about self confidence, having the courage to be vulnerable and overcoming a fear of being embarrased. It's about a willingness to be silly and the bravery of standing in front of your peers and singing. It's about working with a team towards a common goal. It's about failing big, celebrating those moments as a time to learn, then standing up and doing it again until you succeed.
Many of the kids on stage today may choose paths in life that do not include playbills and spotlights, but they will include theatre. They will take these experiences with them when they make a presentation in a boardroom
No matter where life takes these incredible young people, it is my goal that they stand a bit taller and have a bit more belief in themselves because of the time spent here with us.
