Director's Note
There is a line that the Dowager Empress says in Act II where she states she is a woman who "remembers everything the way it should have been and nothing the way it was."
Within the show you see the striggle between two worlds; two realities. In one, an authoritarian Russia reeling from the trauma of the murder of the Romanov family, and in the other the "nouveau" Paris, filled with optimism as it looks to a brighter future. Each person has a different relationship with the past: some like the Dowager are stuck in the past, trying desperately to bring it to the present. Some like Lily and Vlad want to relive the past, idolizing it as the best of times. Some are ready to abandon their past like Dmitry, others want to wipe out the past and institute only the new order, like Gleb.
But it is Anya, lost in the confusion of the present and abandonded by any memory of the past, who must figure out who she is. As the Dowager Empresses tells Anya "You can't be anyone unless you first recognize yourself."
This struggle between new and old is so common in society. While this musical clearly shows a preference for democratic France over authoritarian Russia, the characters bring out the struggle each of us faces within us between our hope for our future and the shadow of our past. All of us try to improve ourselves each day, but the reality of our past can sometimes prevent us from going forward. But the Christian prspective tells us that though we may not always be proud of our past, those struggles can be transformed and suffering can be understood as a vehicle to new life.
Through her interactions with Dmitry and Vlad, Anya matures from a nameless citizen into realizing her true identity as royalty. The past now makes sense, and she is freed of her confusion, leading her to acknowledge her lineage and follow her heart towards a new future. But nevertheless, she had to endure suffering and danger to realize this deep dignity that she had all along.
One might be reminded of how God calls us to make peace with our past and often brings us out of the mundane into the divine. Just like how Anya went from poverty in St. Petersburg to royalty in Paris, Christ calls us out of the blandness of a selfish life to follow Him on an extraordinary adventure where through patience and some suffering, we come to know our deep dignity and worth as God's children.
One final thought - I love this story made into the musical of Anastasia. I recall watching the animated movie as a child. Unlike other princess movies where a young woman from humble origins goes through some challenge, falls in love with a prince, and becomes a princess, Anastasia is different. The royal title and her family were taken from her. Con men try to use her to get money from an old woman. And once she finally confirms that she is Anastasia, she leaves it all behind. To me it seems like other stories are saying that if you try hard enough you'll achieve great dignity and worth. But this story says you already are royalty; you already have great dignity and worth. You just have to realize it and come to know who you truly are. And that idea that dignity is inherent, not earned, seems very Christian to me.
I am so humbled and excited to have worked on this production with an amazing cast, crew, and produciton/directorial team. It's been a personal goal of mine to do this show, and I could not have been blessed with better students, parents, collegues, and volunteers to do this with.
Enjoy the show!
Tom Baker
Director
