Pippin has long been a favorite of mine. I saw it on Broadway when I was in college. It resonated with me then as I was setting off on the journey we call life. I could relate to Pippin, I wanted to be extraordinary! The difference was that I knew what I wanted to do. I was going to be an elementary teacher in New York City slums or other underserved areas where the children needed good teachers. Then reality set in when I worked in an inner city school and discovered I did not have the cultural background to understand where my students were coming from. OK, so maybe I wasn’t going to change the world and help inner city children reach their full potential. I still wanted to find my corner of the sky, a place where I fit in and could make a difference. I landed in Vermont and ended up at Rutland High School, starting a theatre program which has thrived for thirty years…guess I am on the “right track.”
Tonight the Rutland High School Theatre and Music departments present Pippin. Join us on the journey of life for a young man. The players ask you to be a part of Pippin’s journey as he tries first one way of life and then another, always seeking that special something that makes life worthwhile. He has a companion in this search, the leading player. The kicker is: "what is the leading player up to?" Is the leading player working in Pippin’s best interest or does she have her own motives and agenda? Will he choose something that is flashy and dangerous and permenant, or will he choose an ordinary life full of love and laughter? Which would you choose?
The actors have been on a journey as they work on this piece. Each plays at least two parts: the actor in a gypsy troupe which travels performing “Pippin”; and the character in the play within a play. Together we have explored who they are and what is their stake in Pippin’s journey. Each rehearsal has brought new answers and new questions. Hopefully everyone involved with this production has found some answers which will make their own journey a little bit easier.
Thank you to everyone who has been a part of bringing this production to life.
