Thank you for attending the Colonial Players production of The Giver!
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to live in a perfect world? A place where the people around you are polite and calm and there is no poverty, prejudice or violence. To accomplish this, what would you have to sacrifice? Would you give up the choice to select your own profession or choose your own spouse? Would you be able to live an existence without physical contact or love? Without the ability to feel deeply, will we all be destined to live mundane, meaningless lives?
The characters of The Giver innocently enjoy the benefits of their utopian community – free of pain, sickness and conflict – unaware of the choices they have relinquished. Once assigned his career role of “Receiver” under the tutelage of “The Giver,” young Jonas learns of color, the beauty of nature, the warmth of family, war, pain, and many other deep emotions through memories of the world’s history. Realizing the loss of free will and sacrifices his community has unknowingly made, he wants to return the memories of the world and a life of choice to his people.
History is a powerful learning tool. We can leverage it to ensure we don’t repeat the mistakes of our past and create a better future. While our world is not perfect, every day we grow from our experiences, both positive and negative, helping us to make choices that have the power to create a better world. I truly believe one person can make a difference and in The Giver, Jonas proves this by trusting his moral compass, returning the ability to choose their paths in life to his community.
The dedication and time invested by the cast and crew to bring this science fiction-infused play to life is inspiring. You rose to the challenge of creating a world of “sameness,” and I hope it helps you appreciate the colorful, beautiful and imperfect world we live in, while also inspiring you to trust yourselves, raise your voices, and make a difference.
In addition to the cast and crew, there is an amazing production team who is dedicated to the arts here at PW. Thank you, Melissa Downer (PW Class of 1994), Jeramie Iannelli (PW Class of 2003), Eric Scheidly, Josh Samors, Barb Sharavsky, Jen Crea and Ana Cwietniewicz (PW Class of 2020) for bringing The Giver to life on our stage. I am honored to work with such a great team.
Thank you to our Colonial Players parents for their enduring support of their sons’ and daughters’ love for being on the stage. Additionally, a special thank you goes out to the administration for its support and to the custodial staff for your endless help throughout the run of our production. Finally, to my parents and husband, thank you for your love and support as I explore my passion for theatre.
Please join us again for this show and for our spring musical, Amelie. Your continued support allows us to create wonderful shows and memories on PW’s stage, thereby keeping the arts alive.
Fondly,
Valerie Cucinotta Collado (PW Class of 1997)
