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Note from the Director:

Deep down, we all feel the need to belong to something that’s bigger than ourselves, whether macro or micro. A fandom. A bowling league. A knitting circle. A fantasy sports team. A political party. A church. A family.

It can be easy to understand the tribalism that quickly develops on the island: Jack and Ralph have markedly different leadership styles, and they gain support from those who agree with those tactics. That’s not to say that one type of leadership is necessarily better or worse than another; some are more socially and historically acceptable than others, with varying degrees of success. Here, Jack leads through intimidation and fear. Ralph leads by showing kindness and compassion.

But the boys on the island are not defined by the group into which they fall; they each demonstrate moments of anger, of empathy, of gentleness, of violence, of frustration, of regret. Just as we in the real world can bristle when we feel reduced to a demographic or a data point, so are these boys much more than their circumstances.

When watching this show, it’s important for us in the audience to remember that, at all times, in all situations, these are children. Boys. Their actions and reactions, with whatever consequences follow, must be viewed within that context. With no training, no preparation, and no guidance, these boys must follow their basest biological imperative: survive. When judging their actions by play’s end, please remember this.

I hope that you, watching this show, can recognize and appreciate the hard work this cast has put into our production. For many of them, this is their first professional experience, but their creative input, willingness to play and explore, and attention to detail are all hallmarks of seasoned actors. They truly started together as individuals and coalesced into something much bigger than themselves: a family.

Jeffrey Cole

Board of Directors