Director's Note
At this time last year, I was hoping and praying to even have a shot at being in this position. I still, after having done it for eight months, can't quite believe that I get to be here, doing this. It's been the honor of a lifetime to be trusted with what is truly my dream job - being a high school drama teacher with my own theatre program. I would like to extend my profound thanks to Mr. Martin Fechner for seeing my potential and believing in me enough to give me this shot. I would also like to extend my profound thanks to Mr. Cam Tully, Ms. Treena Gallant-Plouffe, Mr. Anders Halberg, Ms. Kari Ohlhauser, and Mr. Chris Janzen for their support, advice, trust, and guidance throughout this process. I wouldn't have been able to do this without any of you, and I am eternally grateful to have such wonderful people as my admin and department head. Lastly, I would be remiss if I didn't thank my family - you have given me endless support and encouragement, and have kept my head above water as a first-time teacher-director. Thank you, I love you.
What these students have done is nothing short of incredible. I'm not exaggerating when I say that I learn as much from the students as they learn from me - especially in the tech department. Their dedication, drive, commitment and creativity have made this show what it is; I could not have asked for a better group of kiddos. They were put in an interesting position this year - a different teacher, a new-to-teaching-theatre teacher, and a non-musical as the show for the first time in years, with it being the last show of many of their high school careers. None of this dissuaded them. They showed up, put their best foot forward, and dove in head-first to the playful and sometimes ridiculous world of The Alibis. The challenge with ridiculousness and comedy is taking them both seriously - you, the actor, know that what you're doing is funny and silly, but your character is entirely serious and these are their real decisions. I think that this challenge has been tackled pretty well, especially for high schoolers.
My hope for you, the audience, is that you laugh, embrace the silliness, and thoroughly enjoy the performance you see tonight. These kids have worked so hard, and it all pays off now. Man, am I glad we made it here. Man, am I ready to have a moment to breathe when it's done. And man, am I excited to do it all over again next year.
- Miss. M. Tobert
