playbill vip

Director's Note

Every year students ask me how I pick the shows we do here at SBTA. My explanation is always that I look at who is likely to audition, I look at the stories we’ve told and the stories we want to tell, and I try to find something that will help our students shine while also challenging them to think and grow. The truth is, sometimes, it’s just a feeling. This show was a feeling. After the past two years, I wasn’t sure how many students would be returning to the stage. I didn’t know the incoming 6th graders. Some incoming 7th graders I had only ever seen on a screen. So, what show could I pick? I thought about going simple and safe. But then...then I thought about Matilda.

To me, Matilda is a story about bravery. It is a story about why we should never underestimate the underdog, and that heroes often come in unexpected packages. The character of Matilda isn’t afraid to take risks. She isn’t afraid to stand up for what she knows is right. Her acts of bravery inspire her classmates and her teacher to push aside their fears and work together towards a common goal - a triumphant defeat of the Trunchbull. 

I am a person who has a lot of fears. I’m not sure “brave” is ever a word people have used to describe me. But I want to be brave. Producing theatre during a pandemic is scary. So many unknowns, so many what-ifs. Deciding on Matilda was a risk. When 70 kids came out to audition, and I received 50 crew applications, I knew I would have a challenge. So much to teach, so many personalities, and so much rebuilding to do. So, call it brave, foolish, stubborn, or whatever, we forged forward. And now, as we reach the end of this journey, I am starting to see the rewards. Our reward is not some triumphant defeat. It is not something that can be contained, or defined, or quantified. Our reward is joy. The joy we get from creating, from becoming a company, from learning, growing, and making art together. It is the joy in knowing that being brave isn’t the absence of fear, but in fact, it is forging forward in the face of fear and adversity, knowing that it is worth it. Thank you, Matilda, for inspiring this teacher to be brave.