Is Heathers really an appropriate show for high schoolers to be performing? I thought I’d start by mentioning the elephant in the room. This is something many of you may have thought at one time or another. Maybe you’re sitting here right now, not sure about the answer to that question as you wait anxiously for our production to begin. Had you asked me this question, even just two years ago, I probably would have answered differently than today.
Based loosely on the cult film, Heathers the Musical introduces us to a group of teenagers starting out the school year in 1989. We meet students struggling with popularity, bullying, mental illness, thoughts of suicide, physical assault, sexual assault, and unfit home lives. Sound familiar? Thirty-one years later, this certainly describes many of the struggles facing our teenagers today. While these topics may not seem completely taboo, Heather’s uses an unconventional approach to shed light on these areas.
With such dark and heavy themes, it’s hard to imagine that our show is considered a comedy. What’s important to understand is that there are times in our show that you may feel uncomfortable, or even laugh and not understand why. That’s part of being human and facing these uncomfortable situations. The writers of our show have found a way to depict these scenarios without undermining the seriousness of the topics. The use of humor in Heathers the Musical: High School Edition, is used to help us digest this frightening truth of what these characters and our teenagers are going through.
However, the message of our show isn’t one of negativity, solemnness, or pain. The message is one of hope for the journey that the young men and women in our lives take to create a better future for themselves and the world around them. What has been an extremely rewarding experience for me as an educator has been to hear the stories of these incredible students in our production and seeing their desire and excitement to bring this message to their school and community. The story of Heathers is one that many have desperately wanted to tell because for these young men and women in our lives there is at least one aspect of our show that they can personally relate to.
To the administrators and staff here at East High – thank you for all you do for our students. Your leadership and guidance goes further than you know with this student body, and together you are creating a brighter future. To the families of these incredible students, thank you for raising such outstanding young men and women. Their dedication, hard work, and professionalism are a testament to their upbringing. East High is also fortunate to have an incredible music department – Beau, Dalinda, Curtis and Keith – thank you so much for creating a safe space for our students to purse their passion for music. Sarah, Matt and Brydon – thank you so much for helping to bring my vision to life on stage – and always humoring me with my many ideas no matter how far out in left field they are! Ann, Tamra and Susan – your amazing gifts and knowledge of the 80’s have really made our students looking incredible on stage, thank you for all your hard work! Kayla, the vocal growth and the education you have given to our musical students here at East High is remarkable. Thank you for the dedication you have given to this program. Kelley, it’s hard to believe that even after five shows together, you’re still not sick of me! Thank you so much for the excitement and determination you bring to our musical program. It’s amazing to see how these students have grown as dancers during their high school career with you as their choreographer. Finally, to the students who spent months putting together this show – thank you for your dedication, team work, and determination to bring this show to life. My hope is that you take those traits into all aspects of your life and truly make this world Beautiful.
Travis S. Pierce, Director
