The smell of my grandparent's basement. A mix of Christmas turkey being slowly cooked to grandpa's famous perfection. The rich essence of walnut and cedar wood from the handmade furnishings surrounding me. An old patchwork quilt from my great grandpa's farm on my lap. Its softness gained from years of use on children's laps. Yet. Amongst all of these antique smells and textures, something is added. A fresh, brand new, unbroken spine of a hardcover book newly unwrapped from its decorative holiday paper. The smell of a new book, the pages unfurled. This is where magic begins. Or at least it did for me.
I clearly remember opening the a box set of the first three Harry Potter books given to me from my aunt. In just a few days all three had been read. Loved. Cherished. I was addicted. Reading was never an easy thing for me. I was often sick growing up as a child and missed a lot of classes. Due to this, I missed my foundational learning. Thankfully, my teacher took time to get me not only caught up, but soon, in the advanced reading group - The Purple Parrots. Another core memory is of my friend dropping off my homework at my house and letting me know I was in her reading group now! I was in shock! Ever since that day, there is always a book ready to go on my bedside and now (thanks to technology), my phone. Those first three books in the series were the first "big" books I was able to read on my own - and yes, I still swear that Hermione is pronounced Her - Me - Own. I was the generation of waiting at Barnes and Noble, Walmart, or any odd bookstore at midnight to get the new release! To go to each midnight showing on opening day for each new movie! And of course, finally, at the age of 28, walking into Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley in my very own Slytherin robe with my very own wand at Universal Orlando Resort.
I was thrilled when my late dog LadyBug was a mega fan (honestly, more so than myself). Each night she wanted to watch the first film. When she was scared or worried we played the soundtracks. When she was sick we read the books out loud to her. And sadly, when she passed, the beautiful music of John Williams sang her to eternal rest. And yes, my new baby is named after not just a favorite character of mine, but also in honor of the actress who portrayed her - Narcissa.
When the opportunity came last year for us to apply for rights to premiere this production I decided to tempt fate and let my inner nerd out. To my shock - we were announced as the school to bring this to life for the first time in Missouri! While things did not ever go to plan - as often happens with premiere productions, we have truly gone on a magicaly journey to bring this to the stage today. Just like the stories of our characters, we have been through adventure, loss, trials, and many surprise turns! But through it all, these students before you have taken on this task, traveled together through this journey, and have come out so strong and now more knowledgeable than ever!
We thank you for your support throughout these years as we have grown from a small 6 person program, to a program that had 68 students audition! This is certainly not our last adventure, and yes, we have learned the impact that each member of our team can have. While Scorpius discovers that one action can have a big effect, one person can also do the same.
-Wibbs
