Director's Notes
A good director’s note explores the profundity of the material you are about to see performed. It should tell you all the very relevant and deep artistic reasons I chose this material and make some kind of insightful statement about our time. I suppose this will not be a particularly good director's note because I am just going to tell you the truth.
I didn’t choose this show for its intricate symbolism, relevant cultural commentary, or important ideology. I chose it because the kids wanted to do it.
I am graduating this semester with a BFA in theatre performance from the University. However, the two shows I have done here with the AACT have been my favorite theatrical experiences in my four years of living in this city. In my time studying theatre I have learned that the artform can serve a variety of different purposes: it can expose truth, or inform the public, or engender sympathy for a cause. I do not think that you will walk away from this performance feeling that any great revelation about life and art has taken place. You will watch a familiar story about high schoolers falling in love, forming friendships, and trying new things. You will watch these characters discover passions and create community, and grow in confidence; you are already well aware these things happen. But that is the purpose that this art serves. The magical thing you are seeing (because you WILL sense something magical is happening) is that we are not simply playing characters who create community, a community was created here. These kids are not just acting like they learned to love art and make new friends, a love for art was fostered and new friends were made. I did this show because the kids wanted to do it. They knew the songs and were excited to learn the dances, and it has been my greatest joy to come in every day and watch them memorize lines and lyrics and make friends and become confident and funny and so loudly and proudly themselves.
This cast of kids has worked so hard to tell you this story about kindness and inclusion while being kind and inclusive. They are talented singers and dancers and actors. They are great, but more importantly, I have gotten to see the ways in which they are good. They are good teammates and good friends. They have great minds and good hearts and they are all so excited to use these things and entertain you for a while.
Bailey Murphy
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Director's Bio
Bailey Murphy is a senior at Auburn University about to graduate with her BFA in Theatre Performance and this is her second show with the AACT. In May she will move to San Antonio TX as a Teach For America 2020 corps member where she is thrilled to start a new job as a special education teacher. She loves theatre, but she loves her students more. She is so grateful to this community for all they have allowed her to do and she hopes all these kids know that she is always an Instagram DM or a phone call away.
