When I was a student at Solon High School, the Drama Club director was an amazing woman named Elizabeth Donnelly – “Mom” Donnelly to those of us who spent every moment outside of class in the auditorium. As that honored title implies, she was so much more to us than just a Drama Director or English teacher. To quote one of my classmates, “She was never patronizing, always encouraging, motivating, inspiring us to be creative. She established a uniquely safe space to express ourselves and take responsibility for our decisions.” It’s my honor and privilege to follow in her footsteps, and I have done my best to nurture that safe space for the students I’ve taught.
One of Drama Club’s most treasured traditions is our “Circle” before each show. We gather as a company, cast and crew, just before the curtain raises. And in every Circle, I share the words “Mom” shared with us so many years ago. “You’ve been given a gift,” she’d tell us. “You have the chance to be someone else for a while, to see the world through someone else’s eyes.” This gift is a sacred, unique blessing for those of us in the theatre, but the lesson she was teaching was so much more. “Mom” showed us the value of empathy and compassion – she taught us how to be responsible citizens of the human race.
“Mom” passed away in January, and while I’ve always been guided by her memory, I feel her presence in the auditorium more than ever. She would have loved this version of Freaky Friday – Ellie and Katherine spend a day literally seeing the world through each other’s eyes, experiencing first-hand the other’s trials and triumphs. She would have loved the message of hope, of overcoming our fears and finding a new way forward. She would have appreciated the poignancy of that message now, after this year of darkness and solitude, as we slowly emerge into the light.
I am beyond grateful that we have found our way back to the theater. We’re excited to bring you this fresh and entertaining show, even if the method of delivery is different from how you’ve seen us in the past. I am so proud of our students, who have found a way to continuously adapt to this new normal and have blazed a trail for those who will come after. Our world will be forever changed by the events of the past year, but if we hold on to the empathy and compassion we’ve found, those changes will be for the good.
This one’s for you, Mom. Thank you for everything.
Kristina J. Ferencie
Director
