Before you sit down to watch this show, there’s something you should know: two months ago this show was just an idea. I didn’t want to do it because it was scary, but I agreed to it because a very important person in my life thought it was a great idea. Between the live band, the flu season, the young cast, the building renovations, etc I was terrified. To be fair, all of these components were an obstacle we faced during the rehearsal process. Looking back now, I can empathize with “two-months-ago-DJ” but I wouldn’t trade this experience for the world.
It was an absolute honor to work with this cast. In a relevant example of how art mirrors life, this group of young actors has been presented with one obstacle after another and has faced them all with determination and perseverance (much like their characters in this show). For some of these actors, it was their first time singing on stage, for some it was their first time dancing on stage, and for some it was just their first time on stage. Their rehearsal process started with their director missing the first week of rehearsals with strep throat and the flu. Two weeks later their choreographer fell ill. They worked through cast members staying home sick, installation of air conditioners, and more. And I never once heard a complaint from them. One night, I even kept them late to give them a very stern talking-to and afterwards they surprised me (their hateful director) with ice cream. About three weeks before the opening of this show, I had to break the news to this cast that I was moving and wouldn’t be with them for the rest of the process. There were tears and questions but once again, they met this new obstacle head-on.
I, like many of you, remember high school as a rough 4 years. If I could go back, I would tell teenage-DJ to do a lot of things differently and that she wasn’t alone. It was easy then to believe that I was the only person in the world who wasn’t doing it good enough. As an adult, I can look back and look around and see that everybody struggles and high-school is the most common time to deal with those struggles. So, while this show has some good music and funny one-liners, I hope the cast and audience see this show as an example of how even the most heart-breaking, cringe-worthy moments in our life can all be opportunities to relate to one another.
I’m a firm believer that every show a director presents is a wish and my wishes for this show are as follows:
1. I hope this show has a made a difference in this cast’s life. I hope they know that they are valuable and I hope that they’ve made friends who will be with them for the rest of their lives (just like I did on this same stage when I was younger). I hope they carry their “quirks,” sense of humor, determination, and perseverance through the rest of their lives. I hope they know there are adults in their lives who want to see them succeed and accept them with their flaws and talents. I hope this experience has made them better at being better humans.
2. I hope the Production Team knows how grateful I am for them. I’m thankful for Tamara Sheets who is the most patient, helpful, understanding, loyal person I’ve ever had the pleasure of knowing. I’m thankful for Holly Piotrowski who cares more about everything than I’ve ever cared about anything in my entire life. I’m thankful for Wilson who (despite what he wants others to believe) is one of the kindest, hard-working people in the world and always does more than he signed up for. I’m thankful for Stan Dudek, Devin Lyall, and Cynthia Collins who gave up their free time and whatever extra energy they had to help put this show together. I’m thankful for Paula Joines who took the helm after my move. I’m thankful for Adam Pruitt, Micah Sidden, Wes Martin, Destiny Smith and Charlie Yonker who helped pull this show together tech-wise. I’m thankful for every parent and Playmaker who gave an ounce of their time and energy to help us.
3. I hope you see how hard these people have worked. I hope you see yourself somewhere in this story. I hope you continue to support local art. I hope you enjoy the show and I hope we see you at the next one.
“Be excellent to each other!”
Daven J. VanHoy
