This is a story about love, about family, about forgiveness, and about the impact of our relationships on those around us. But most importantly, it's about truth that transcends fact, and the power of fiction to communicate those things that we cannot put into words. Edward Bloom's stories about his life may not be factual, but they are true. Each story communicates the feeling of what it was like to be there, at that moment in his life, in a way that strict facts never could. Sure, he may not have caught a thirty-pound bass... but that's what it felt like to pull in the 8 pounder that fought every inch of the way.
I think in some sense, this is why we write fiction. This is why we fall in love with stories. This is why we embellish stories and put on rose-colored glasses: because we can never share the feeling of falling in love, or winning the big game, or any of those other ethereal, had-to-be-there moments. But we can give one another a glimpse of what it might have been like with a little bit of embellishment.
I am so grateful to each and every student who poured their hard work into this show, to all of our faculty and staff who supported the production process, to our wonderful pit musicians, to our Technical Director, Devon Farnsworth, to our Music Director, Caleb Fritz, to our choreographer, Courtney Sikora, and to our Board of Trustees and Administrative Team who backed us up every step of the way.
One last person I'd like to thank is my own father, Billy Savell. Every time I work on Big Fish, I think of my dad, and I hope that comes through in this production. Thank you for the stories, the jokes, the hunting and fishing trips, for all the things only an old cowboy from a little hick town can do. Thank you for all the things you taught me, and thank you for inspiring me to be a teacher. I'm glad my kids have a granddad as special as you, and I hope you get as much out of this show as I do.
Thank you to all of you for joining us in our production of this wonderful piece of art. We hope you enjoy the show!
-Colby Savell
