A Note From The Director
“To see you here, we’re Deeply Glad, Deeply Grateful and Deeply Plaid”
Forever Plaid is a show that holds a near and dear place in my heart and I have been counting down the minutes until we could share this wonderful show with the Rome community! At its very foundation, Forever Plaid is a show about four best friends who never got the chance to share their musical talents with the world while they were alive, but have been given the opportunity to put on their first and last show before making their way to heaven. However, if you look beyond their quirky personalities, missteps and their love for all things Plaid, you will see that this show has a meaning much deeper than is apparent at first glance. Forever Plaid is about finding that one perfect moment in our lives, and realizing that our success is not measured by money or fame, but is instead measured by the perfect moments of our everyday lives.
My grandfather saw Forever Plaid about five years ago at a theatre in Toledo, Ohio and ever since has asked when we would do the show again, so that he could see it. He wasn’t really a theatre lover but Forever Plaid struck a chord with him, and he was instantly in love with the music, the comedy and the story of these four normal guys who never got the chance to have the kind of fame that their idols had, but finally figured out that that was ok. That’s the thing about Forever Plaid; it has a way of reminding us all that success can be defined as different things by different people and at different times, but it all comes down to finding those moments that make our lives wonderful. As Stuart Ross himself said, “As long as we have dreams and believe in them we have achieved greatness.”
Sadly, my grandfather passed away this past January, just months before RLT decided to take on this production, before Chris and I decided that doing this show together was what we should do and just a few short days before James and I found out we were bringing a new baby into this world. Honestly, it is one of the reasons that we decided to apply to direct and produce it; for him and in his memory. I am confident that his life, like mine, has been full of perfect moments and “that’s all anyone has the right to ask for.” I know that he would have been so excited to see this production, and would have loved RLT’s production of Forever Plaid just as much as the first time he saw it. Thank you to RLT, the cast, crew and production team for going on this journey with me to do this show for my grandpa. This show is dedicated to him.
Enjoy the show!
Amanda Swendsen, Director
