This year has been unprecedented to say the least. So, as a company we broke precedent. Welcome to our first online show!
The BTW Online show needed to start with something that held meaning to our community and was ultimately relatable to our student artists. With quarantine raging, it was evident that the two musicals I had planned for the year were not going to happen. Qui Nguyen's She Kills Monsters was a piece I had my eye on for a while. It confronts family, bullying, relationships, LBGTQ+, and other teen issues that affect our students. It's timely and quirky, and Nguyen revised it to be specifically done on Zoom.
In the spirit of this reinvention, we did the same for the BTW. Even after hours online in classes, these dedicated student artists showed up for more hours in the afternoons on Zoom calls working on the rehearsing and designing of our first online show. I continue to be stunned by their dedication to this art and this company. They continue to give me hope for the future of the art even in the time of COVID.
To the faculty and staff, I can't thank you enough for your work on the impossible task of maintaining student motivation in the virtual classroom. The way Beacon teachers teach these students have supported them in this effort and increased their ownership of their work.
My biggest thanks to my adult collaborators in all aspects; Gussy for the return to the BTW inspiring these students, Jay Are for providing insight and a fresh outlook to what is possible for these students, Dan for working so quickly to set up our tech for this weekend, and lastly to Mrs. Murphy and Dr. Skeldon for trusting me enough with this task.
To our family and friends joining us from all over, we appreciate you and wish that we were hearing your laughter and seeing your joyful faces, but we know that you're there and that means so much.
Yours in Art,
Jason Robert LeClair
