"You know what, kiddo?
In the old days of about ten minutes ago, we did the news well.
You know how? We just decided to."
~ Charlie Skinner, Aaron Sorkin's The Newsroom
And that's how a show and a company were born.
We just decided to. Sometimes all it takes is the right material with the right people at the right time. And we were lucky enough to have all of those things working in our favor one night over post-show drinks. A wistful conversation about dream roles turned into "That would be a great show for you" turned into "I can do something with this material" turned into "We should totally do this show one day" turned into "Why wait? Let's do this show!" The rest, as they say, is history.
What we didn't realize on that November night was how much this show would come to mean for us as individuals and a community. We watched lawmakers define mental illnesses as pre-existing conditions that did not merit health coverage. We saw our teenage selves dramatized in Netflix's 13 Reasons Why, which sparked a national conversation about suicide and its depiction in mass media. We grieved the loss of a talented colleague who lost his battle with depression. Yet, with a rapidly changing world in the background, we found truth and catharsis in the story of the Goodman family.
This show would not be possible without a team of incredible people putting forth their best work. At the top of that list is Enrico Banson - fearless actor, tireless producer, and all-around bad-ass. Thank you for trusting me with this gem of a show and providing me with all the tangible and intangible support to make it happen. To Ashley, Jennifer, Kamren, Perry, and Scottie: Thank you for bringing all of your joys, pains, and triumphs to the stage in every rehearsal and every performance. To our glorious band, especially Aaron Tan (who still puts up with me after a decade and a half of music and way too many cups of coffee): You rock. Literally. Your music adds so much character to a show filled with personality. To Cameron and Rachel: Thank you for being ready to tackle anything and everything I throw at you. The list of people goes on and on, but my thanks will never end. Together, we did the show well.
Because we just decided to.
SPECIAL THANKS
The cast, crew and everyone at The P.A. System wishes to thank Noelle Arms and the entire Poison Apple Productions family for being extremely accomodating and welcoming to their space and resources. We can not express our gratitude to everyone involved at Poison Apple and how much we support what they do for arts education, children's theatre and the community. Thanks to St. Paschal Church/Northern Light School in Oakland and St. Stephen Church in Walnut Creek for providing rehearsal spaces. We humbly thank Josh Price, Lyle Barerre and Desired Effect for their understanding and support. We wish to extend our gratitude to everyone at Lumos Films and The Perpetualist for stepping out of their realms and supporting live theatre, Diablo Valley College Drama Department, Trader Joes Store #123 in Walnut Creek, Josefa Bordon, Vince Mediaa, Bobby Scofield, Sunny Shergill, Debbie Smith, Jorg Linke, Steven M. Thomas, The Jack and Jill Foundation, Theatre Bay Area, The Martinez Gazette, Jenna Stuart at WhatsOnStage.com, The Borsontino Family.
