Thirteen months ago, our production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat was shut down due to a global pandemic. We thank you for your support during that time, and it is because of your support that we are able to provide this unique opportunity to you today. We have rebuilt the plane while it was in the air this year. With the exception of the precious assets of our drama students and parents undaunted, we re-invented concept after concept including venue, ticketing, rehearsal in pods, changing from a musical to four plays, bringing in portable sound equipment, redesigning meals, and redesigning how to create a sense of family and ownership that is one of the core values of the program. The expression, “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger” certainly applies this year! The students have learned to articulate through their masks, express their emotions using their entire bodies, and most importantly, persevere in the midst of adversity. Even though Zoom Drama rehearsals are very tricky with cast sizes larger than nine, these students have worked very diligently in our collaborative process.
In their eminent wisdom, the students originally did not want to do the plays because musicals were all that they knew. Collaborating on plays has been freeing because the character development is more rich and the intricate teamwork is imperative to performing one act plays. The result has been unparalleled. In our production of Emperor's New Clothes, you will see the festive attire and set reflecting that of Hawaii - an idea that was inspired by its own cast. In preparation, the production team had developed an extensive concept. To cultivate student ownership of the production, we worked in tandem with the students to create what you will see today. Over the course of one week, the students designed the look of the set, incorporating some of the collaborative goals that we shared with them. Sarah Bower put her remarkable artistic talents to work and put these ideas down on paper. They studied the color wheel, character actions, and time period and impressively built a wardrobe that reflects the core themes of the show. Through the LCCC Intro to Theatre class, we explored deeper concepts of how the actor builds character and what leadership looks like. To apply these concepts, the students were integrated into the design team to plan for our Saturday Work Days creating projects. Through identifying materials lists, articulating with the construction team, actively problem solving, and working with peers, they managed the projects to completion. In the final scene of Flowers, you will see the stunning use of tableau to tell the end of the tragic story, which was the thought of student director Drew. In Alice, you will see the uniqueness of poetry in motion. This cast is on the set for essentially the entire production which requires an amount of focus and energy that is intrinsic to that production. That cast has had multiple collaborative thinks. The cast of Charlotte’s Web has learned how to truly be a cast, how to bring their best effort, how to esteem one another more than themselves. Their creativity can be seen in the rainstorm- they have created their decorative headpieces for that scene. After exploring the musical concept of the storm, they have made it their own. Pay attention to how well they follow their student conductor.
I would be remiss if I did not personally thank the production team for their support and willingness to change for this production. In a crucible, you truly learn who you are and what you believe in. Our roles became yet more equal but different. Thank you for the difference that you have made in the lives of our casts this year!
I guess the overall theme for this year has been - “Collaborate not only to survive but THRIVE!” The evidence that I cite above is not to diminish the entire casts’ accomplishments or to elevate one cast member above another. The goal is to educate our audience about the beauty of leadership and the development of soft skills that are cultivated upon the stage. It is truly more than telling a story!
A few thoughts on the stories that you see upon the stage today….
Flowers for Algernon is written to reflect society’s view of people with mental disabilities. The words “retarded and mental retardates” are used in the script. At first thought, you may be offended. That is not the purpose. The purpose of drama, art, and music is to reflect (both good and bad), how society has viewed a problem or a group and then to challenge us to reflect and
