Trisha McWright: When looking for a play for the high school for our one-act weekend, I knew that I wanted to find something that would catch students' attention immediately and be culturally relevant to them. Ian McWethy's quirky short comedy is just such a show. From the crazy title to the even crazier onstage antics, this show is one that will have audiences laughing, but also hopefully leave them thinking about how ubiquitous the internet has become in our lives and how we should be wary of letting it consume our lives entirely.
Oh Look A Kitten . . . I am very happy to have found a way to incorporate my love of cats by partnering with Proverbs 12:10 Animal Rescue to collect food and litter for cats and kittens waiting to be adopted. I have had the privilege of fostering cats for Proverbs, and they are a wonderful organization that is committed to 'Helping His Helpless' through quality care and healing, adoptions, and population control awareness.
And although this is a show about the internet, one of my greatest blessings in working with the cast on this show is seeing the students' face-to-face interactions during rehearsal bonding over laughter and their love for acting.
Nicole Arnold: This year, I wanted to take us back to the classics. The Phantom Tollbooth is a literary gem that uses an imaginative world to parallel the trials of everyday life. Milo learns that it is "bad enough wasting time, without killing it." A cautionary tale of becoming complacent and unthinking, the play helps us to see the forces at work around us.
As a believer in spiritual warfare, even the portrayal of the demons with their song "Gotcha" has a pertinent message. "Sometimes we work from within, sometimes we work from without." Praise God, that we have the opportunity here at NCS to be openly prayerful in fighting Satan's attacks.
Theater opens up the opportunity for us to explore new worlds and new characters as we meet new friends and cherish those who have become nearly family. We find our voices and learn to appreciate the viewpoints of others. Just as Milo and Tock discovered on their journey,
"So many things are possible, just as long as you don't know they're impossible."
