A Message From The Artistic Director
It has been my sincere privelege to introduce Spotlight On Youth to the Fargo-Moorhead community this summer. Spotlight On Youth was formed with two big goals: First, we want to give students with limited opportunities a strong, high-quality opportunity to participate in theatre. We want our students, not our programming, to drive our instruction. Second, we want to supplement, not supplant, the various other theatrical opportunities that exist the the community.
It is my sincere hope that through our unique rehearsal processes, our students will gain the tools, leadership, and independence to be successful in any program in which they participate. With our goals defined, we crafted our mission statement: "Spotlight On Youth will empower every student to realize his or her personal potential, to use music and theatre to inspire independent thought and informed dialogue, and to foster a community that celebrates the differences and unique strengths of every student."
We launched two programs this summer. The first program concluded in June. Guys & Dolls Jr. was performed by UpStage!, our program for actors with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Our second program is Re|Act, an auditioned, intensive musical theatre experience for actors between the ages of 12 and 16. This program began rehearsals on July 7th, and in addition to rehearsals, it included master classes on topics including vocal techniques, specific, stylized choreography, costume design, hair and makeup, audition tips and techniques, technical theatre, character development, and more.
We chose Tarzan: The Stage Musical as the inagural show for this program because of the abundant educational opportunities it presented for voice and movement, vocal techniques, choreography, costume design, aerial choreography, and character development. Additionally, we wanted to choose a show our community had not yet experienced.
I am incredibly proud of this cast. They are actors between the ages of 12 and 16, but they have created a beautiful, powerful piece of theatrical art that transcends any expectation or preconceived notion set forth by their age. They have rehearsed with maturity, they have supported one another, and in the end, they have shown me beyond a shadow of a doubt that students, when given high expectations, can do remarkable things.
I am also incredibly proud of our creative team for this production. They have given countless hours to the students in this production, and despite working with an extremely limited budget due to the growing pains of being a new organization, their artistry and creativity has been what has made Tarzan a valuable, significant experience to our students. Jen, Laurie, Lindsey, Ben, and Jordan will always have my most sincere appreciation and my utmost respect. I also owe a huge debt of gratitude to Andrea Engebretson, who designed our logo, website, and posters, as well as volunteering to take head shots and promotional videos for us.
If you enjoy this evening's production, please consider making a donation. In doing so, you will help ensure that Spotlight On Youth can continue our mission to our students. To make a donation, you can email me at fmspotlightonyouth@gmail.com or leave a check in a donation envelope on your way out. Finally, please support the businesses with advertisements and acknowledgments in this playbill. Without them, none of this would have been possible.
Enjoy the show!
Justin DePaolis-Metz
Artistic Director
