A Message from the Director:
Welcome, theatre-goers! I am extremely proud to teach at Pass Christian High School, and to bring theatre back to this special school with this production of Our Place.
One key moment in my life led me to this stage: Through my love of theatre, I met a person about 20 years ago while I was involved in community theatre. She was new to the area, having moved to central Arkansas from the Mississippi Coast with a degree in musical theatre from Ole Miss. I watched her perform on stage, got excited when she was cast in a key role in the first play I had ever written, and then was cast alongside her in play after play. Within a couple of years, we were married, and I began two decades of summer, Thanksgiving, and Christmas trips to the Coast to visit her family and experience the natural beauty of the area. This summer, we moved our family, with both great difficulty and tremendous joy, from Arkansas to the Coast. Unless someone offers a free house in Scotland, we are here for good.
Why do I tell this story? When a person gets involved in theatre, they never know where it might take them. One out of hundreds will go on to study theatre in college. Some will become lighting and sound designers. The rare talent will direct plays professionally, appear in a movie, or start a theatre of their own. Thousands will gain a greater appreciation of the arts, and perhaps understand their favorite movie a little better. But hundreds of thousands of kids will remember the joy of connecting with others that they experienced in their high school play, or in their Theatre 1 class. Five, 10, or 20 years later, they will find themselves in a community theatre production. In that production, they might meet the friend group they will spend most of their spare time with, the person they go to when they are down and need lifting. They might also meet the person who will hire them for their next job, or the friend who shares their intense obsession with a sports team.
And once in a while, they might meet the love of their life. I did. My love of acting, singing, set-designing, and directing has brought me to this beautiful place to be a part of a special family and a spectacular community.
An actor friend of mine has long spread this motto when working on theatre productions: We are very lucky people. We are, my friends, very lucky. We are lucky to be together, in this special place, in this moment, as one, breathing together, sharing space, making and witnessing the magic of theatre, of creative collaboration. You are part of that collaboration. Your reactions to what you see tonight actually influence the performance and leave these kids with positive memories for a lifetime.
Thank you to each person in this school district who has treated me with kindness and welcomed me into the fold. I look forward to building something special here.
With love,
John Haman
Writer, Teacher, Encourager
