playbill vip

West Side Story is always a unique opportunity as a production. The play itself presents so many chances for a performer to decide what they believe the work is meant to portray. It could easily come across as a play centered in the war of young and old, of juvanilism and maturity. On the other side of that coin, we have the privilege of telling a tragic love story of shakespearen influence., or the challenge of expressing a foolish relationship between two teenaged fools. If we were an angrier company, we could even venture to say that West Side is indicative of the evil we're capable of even when we believe ourselves to be in the right. Either way you spin it, the play itself has so much to say at any given moment. But to nail it down, for me, my students, actors, and co-creators, this has been a story of humanity. A story that expresses the imperfect nature of life as we know it. One that reflects life back at its audiences and demands that it pay attention and heed its warning. Especially now with the escalation of hate in the world, I believe these are the stories we must tell. These stories must be told to remind us that love will always breed understanding, and hate perpetuates ignorance. While the road to this production was not always easy for myself and my team, the chance to share this story and to showcase it with these wonderful performers defied all difficulty. Everything that you see in this musical is a testemant to the wonderful work of my colleagues. Whether it be the student-performers, my production team, my absolutely fantastic choreographer, or from the incredible support garnered by the administration. I will continue to stand in awe of everything we have accomplished and that is due entirely to the hard work of so many different people, and above all the faith that this school has placed in this program. In the end, there is no better way to express my gratitude than by presenting our production to you. I will let the rest speak for itself.