playbill vip

Welcome to our Historic Auditorium.....er......wait. Welcome to our Little Theatre. You should have already realized that not only is the theatre back but we are performing our annual musical in our Little Theatre while our auditorium is going through a seismic renovation.

Our season this year is inspired by the Antoine de Saint-Exupéry quote from The Little Prince "the most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or touched, they are felt with the heart". The events of the last two years has made this abundantly clear how we need to see the world differently and lead with more love and more compassion.

I have wanted to direct MATILDA, even before our first attempt in 2020. While very few of us were able to see the 2020 version, there will always be a special place in my heart for all those students who worked tirelessly to produce that production. I feel very special to have been able to see it come together right before the world fell apart. There are many nods to the 2020 production that you will see tonight. 

Often, as a director of high school students I often direct shows where we need students to play older characters. They wear their age makeup and tread the boards pretending to have the life experience necessary to execute mature characters. This should be no different than playing a six year old. Matilda the Musical is an incredible opportunity for our students to get back in touch with their imaginations and their own sense of play.

MATILDA is about a little girl who overcomes her situation in life. This got me thinking about all of the famous women throughout history who have fought for what is right, overcome discrimination, and who ultimately paved the way for the women who live today. We still have a long way to go, but as artists we have a duty to tell these stories so that the next generation of women and men, not only understand the previous struggle, but also continue to work to change the system. What I love about this story is that a strong female is the lead and she does not need a male to fall in love with in order for her story to be complete. This is a story about overcoming all odds and standing for what is right and fair. Not to mention a personal responsibility through statements of "nobody but me is gonna change my story"

According to the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) MATILDA premiered at the RSC Courtyard Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon in November 2010, playing to sold-out audiences before transferring to London’s West End. It opened at the Cambridge Theatre in October 2011 and is currently booking until December 2020. The production went on to smash theatreland records when it scooped a total of seven awards at the 2012 Laurence Olivier Awards, securing its place in the Book of Guinness World Records for Most Laurence Olivier Award wins. In Spring 2013 MATILDA opened on Broadway at the Shubert Theatre where it won four Tony Awards (https://uk.matildathemusical.com/about/history/)

A huge thank you to the following people for the energy and time they have put into this FUHS production. My dear friend and partner, Genni Klein, for your endless love, partnership, and creative passion. Blake Danford and the Student Costume Designers Scarlet Marenco and Yae Eun Han for your ability to make things come to life visually. Andrea Oberlander, Amelia Thompson, Stacy Kikkawa, and Troy Trimble you four are the best collaborators I could ask for! Tony Gonzalez and Evan Shirk for your time, energy, passion, and the endless collaboration that always supports our productions, students, and the technical theatre class. Aurora Edmonson, Savanna Worrell, and Lucia Castrejon for your energy, organization, and leadership. Georgia Rau, Katya Beener and Avi Block for your time and creativity. David Renken for your love and understanding of my commitments. The FUHS Drama Booster Club for all of your continued support of this program and your students. Finally, MATILDA Cast and Crew for the pleasure I have had collaborating with you on this project and your willingness to play like six year olds! Have fun!

Michael Despars
Theatrical Arts Director
California Educational Theatre Association, President