playbill vip

Director's Notes

As Janis and Damian say in the opening number, “Though mean can take you far/ maybe this will make you think twice.” A lot goes into choosing a play, especially one as large and involved as the fall musical. You have to consider budgets, availability of rights, and our student performance capabilities. However, as a director, all of that takes a backseat to the question of “why?” Why this show? Why this message? Keeping in mind the enormous undertaking of putting on a musical, is the message that the show will send all worth it? When it comes to this show, I believe the answer is “Absolutely!” While this show’s clear antagonists and obvious bullies are the Plastics, we get to watch Janis, Damian, and Cady become just as mean in the name of revenge. Students walk into our schools every day with the shadow of getting bullied hanging over them. The only way that it is ever going to stop is for those that are bullies to empathize and sympathize with those they bully. This is a hard goal to reach as I truly believe that many bullies, like Janis, Damian, and Cady, have been bullied themselves and so, can’t see past the immediate effects of their actions to the lasting consequences. It is a nearly impossible task to get teenagers to recognize that they are all alike despite the cliques that they naturally divide themselves into. However, I feel that the struggle to get them to see what they have in common rather than what separates them is one worth fighting for. Despite our differences and oftentimes because of them, “we’re all stars” is the ultimate message, and if one person walks away from this show understanding that message, then we have done our job.

Mean Girls at GHS would not have been possible without the following folks:

• Nicole Stice for her unwavering support of the show, assistance with ad sales, securing props, and anything else that was needed along the way.
  
  
• The Kerns family for helping secure the elliptical for the show.
  
  
• Pete Jumper for helping secure the restroom partions and desks for the show.
  
  
• Mr. Carter for providing us with some great voiceover work as our Moderator!
  
  
• Nitsch Theatre Arts NFP for allowing the use of their cafeteria tables for the show.
  
  
• Mr. Green and Ms. Dowis for their assistance in helping make our show possible.
  
  
• The BCSD administration and GHS administration, faculty, and staff for their support of the fine arts in the Ball-Chatham School District!
  
  
• The families of the cast and crew of Mean Girls at GHS for all of their assistance and support of the students involved in this production!

Thank you all!