Welcome back to the theater! I am beyond thrilled to bring back this opportunity for students, staff, and community to come together for something great after the hardship the disease that- shall- not -be -named interrupted our lives in so many ways. To make this production possible, I have some talented, generous, and wonderful people to thank. Max and Kayla Anderson, thank you for your time and expertise in putting together our show in video form for the first time-we could not be offering our show On Demand without you! Thank you to Craig Honeysett, Roy Ward, and your Tiger Tech assistants for their help with materials, construction, repair, and all things I am not currently physically able to do! To Ann Lunsman, thank you for deciding we were something you could devote time and energy to; knowing I could ask for any help from an understanding ear was stress relieving in and of itself. To Cassidy Formanek and Kaitlyn Moser, thank you for loving your school experiences enough to want to come help again as adults! To our fantastically brilliant pianist and the only person I want to share an office hallway with, Julie Strang; thank you for wanting the challenge of playing Broadway accompaniments on the piano, your patience, your advice, and all you are day in and day out. Thank you to the Webster students, staff, and community for supporting our talented kids, and with your presence tonight strengthening their sense of self and what they are capable of as a team. Then, with all the gratitude and love I have, my deep appreciation to my husband, Nick, and my family, who are always poised to listen, care for eachother when I can't be there, wait patiently to see Mommy the next morning, and most importantly support me and "my kids" in our pursuit of creating something together.
Remember, you matter. Every day in every way, you matter.
Sparklejollytwinklejingley,
Rachel Merkt
