playbill vip

Let's talk about the year we’ve had. Life knocking us down, a lot of folks separated from their families, and a communal depression at the top of the decade. Sounds like a hard knock life to me! Last year at this time, Masterman opened and closed its musical in the same evening. It was an experience for the history books, but it made us step back and appreciate every artistic moment we shared. Even though these days have seemed gray—and without a doubt felt lonely— our team was ready to bring the sun out and uplift our students into a brighter tomorrow with Annie! 

This show couldn’t be more well-suited for such an adjusted year. Annie’s positive perseverance to always beat the odds and keep the faith is exactly what we all needed in our lives. Personally, the power of art will always be the bright light at the end of a dark tunnel. That is why I wanted to give the character of Annie an artistic touch! Even when times are tough and the Hannigans of our lives are wearing us down, we can always find comfort and composure in pockets of art. Artists are resilient and have always adapted with the discomforts of life. Annie is an icon for a reason, and I’m happy we could take a page out of her sketchbook and find a new way. In true Masterman fashion, we leaned into what could make Annie special for us. So we paid homage to Annie’s roots by giving it a comic book aesthetic.

This distanced process undoubtedly promoted its own set of pros and cons. PROS: We’ve gotten a chance to see new faces in the spotlight, trust our artistic impulses, and definitely have all strengthened our imaginative and creative possibilities. CONS: Every student was now responsible for their own lighting, props, set pieces, costume management, video submission, and more! 

I’m so thankful to these students for braving the mysteries and trials of virtual theater. This show would not be what it is without their commitment to the arts and ability to endure more screen time after school hours. I cannot scream THANK YOU enough to Ms. Neu who had the massive task of compiling and editing all of the footage/music, IN ADDITION to her normal duties producing and leading the pit. She is an invaluable resource to this program, and deserves so much praise. 

-Devon Sinclair