Thank you for supporting theatre in Saginaw Township Community Schools. This year’s season, Ahead of Our Time, celebrates the idea of taking risks. Our cast and crew managed to fly a car in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, take a cast of 5 actors and tell a hilarious tale including more than 15 characters, and turn traditional Shakespeare on it’s head and make it relevant with today’s use of social media. Our production of Thoroughly Modern Millie is no exception.
Millie's journey is one of self-discovery. She moves to New York with a plan "almost too bold, too daring, too new woman." Millie's goal is to be utterly unique, completely modern. The problem is, while trying to be unique, she ends up a carbon copy of every other woman in the city. With tips from the latest issue of Vogue, Millie becomes a daring individual, just like everybody else. How many of us are pulling our own unique style from the latest YouTube Life Hack! In the end, Millie's personal growth, gained from experience, cannot be found in any glamour magazine. She ultimately learns that love and friendship are much more important than anything spelled out by society.
And of course we need to talk about Mrs. Meers. When Thoroughly Modern Millie was written in 1967, mocking a different culture was an acceptable form of comedy. The 2002 stage production we are performing today, clearly depicts Mrs. Meers as a villain, who hides her true identity by disguising herself as a Chinese geisha with an accent that is far from believable. The character of Meers embodies an ignorant and bigoted stereotype while missing all of the humanity and compassion of the true Asian-American characters in this show. Ching Ho and Bun Foo are the true heroes of this story. The character of Mrs. Meers was written in such a way as to comment on the nature of prejudice, which I hope will be clarified by the story's end.
The theater has always been a place where society can examine human flaw and social issues in a safe environment. This production is dedicated to our amazing cast. On a daily basis, they have shared their talents, their dreams, their goals, their celebrations, their frustrations, their sweat, and their tears. This brings to mind one of my favorite Stella Adler quotes: "Growth as an actor and as a human being are synonymous." And for students, what better way to learn than while examining their own personal growth as a participant in theatre. Through their hard work and continued dedication to the process that started with tap lessons in September, they have managed to inspire me in ways they will never know.
Enjoy the Show!
Lori Duncan
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