Director's Note
Each year, as I sit to compose this Director’s Note, I am more and more swept away by the power of the DMS Players. The cast, crew, production staff and our many volunteers have work tirelessly to bring this story to life for you amidst laughter, excitement, and the pure joy of working together. Our program was founded on the idea that theatre can transport us to different worlds, worlds where magic is possible. We remain dedicated to that bold dream. One of the qualities that drew me to directing this musical was that Freaky Friday is a musical about transformation. Ten weeks ago, we started with a blank stage, a cast of thousands of students, a group of collaborative teachers and stage technicians and a vision of how we could bring this story to life.
A show of this magnitude could not be produced without support from the community of West Warwick. Since 1998, DMS has performed a musical each year and local businesses support us in a variety of ways, for which we are extremely grateful. Thank you Mrs. K. Tarasevich, Mr. J. Guiot, Mr. M. Green, Mr. J. Alves, and Mr. G. Gonsalves for always willing to take a chance on us. To pull off any show requires parent volunteers. Parents that are willing to spend countless hours doing the many jobs that are essential to make a show run smoothly. Thank you parents for what you do for your children every day. I couldn’t be who I am without your phenomenal children. They couldn’t be who they are without the incredible foundation you gave them to grow upon. I believe that education is not a “one-size-fits-all” arena. It is so important to give all students a safe environment in which to learn without negating their own backgrounds, cultures, and identities. The most rewarding aspect I find as a director is getting to bear witness to the growth and development of the students who walk on the stage each day, watching them blossom from unsure adolescents into brave young actors.
Special thanks goes out to Mrs. Tracy Le Fort. If it weren't for you and your willingness to donate your time and energy, this gorgeous lobby and the raffle baskets would not have come to fruition. Mr. Greg Le Fort, Mrs. Jen Snowman, and Mr. Snowman, my appreciation for the expertise you have offered the DMS Players, talents that differ greatly from what I have to give, knows no bounds, thank you. We are honored to have an amazing group of high school students who return year after year to help us. They pass on their wisdom, talents, and experience to their younger peers plus they teach us a thing or two along the way. Your dedication and hard work has been a blessing to us.
No crisis is insurmountable when you around Mr. Kenneth Townsend. Remember that crazy Scottish lady who you had never met who wanted to drill a hole in your auditorium ceiling? That was the first ever show and an interesting conversation, but we have come a long way since then. The beautiful set you see on stage is due to the talent, skill, and vision of our “make it work” Mr. Kenneth Townsend and his creative team. Thank you yet again for all you do for us. I am extremely lucky to work with outstanding and amazing educators...remember none of us get to where we are alone. You trust me to weave this fabric together and you provide the support necessary to keep the fabric strong. I am blessed to work with such an awe-inspiring team. Joe Lancelotta, Jill Fisher, Julie Brodeur, Matt Healey, Meghan Hall, Concetta Piekos, and Julie Petrarca, thank you doesn’t begin to express how much I value each and everyone of you. You are my very special family.
Finally to all my cast and crew you have been a real pleasure to work with. You made my job easy with your tireless efforts over these last 10 weeks. To the 8th graders, virtually all of you have been a part of our performances since you entered middle school. I have loved the time we have spent together, but like all good things it must come to an end and I wish you the very best of luck as you all move on into high school. Thank you all for making this such a phenomenal experience for me, for all of us. Together, we have experienced the wonder of transformation as we worked to bring this story to the stage. We hope that you, too, are transformed by what you see, to dream a little harder, believe a little more and to recognize the uniqueness that is found within, in yourself and others. We are very grateful you are here, so sit back, relax and enjoy our show.
Sincerely,
Fiona J. McIntosh
