Welcome to The Tempest, Reimagined!
We are all so exctied to share this production with our community. The students have worked so hard and shown such a willingness to jump in to all things Shakespeare! As we all know, it takes a village to put together a production of this quality and here at Westtown, we have the most talented, caring, creative team anyone could wish for. First and foremost, I would like to thank this amazing cast and crew for their endless work. You are spectacular! Thank you to all the parents and guardians of our cast and crew for your endless support. Now onto the team...Thank you to our Technical Director, Justin Baker, for your dedication and brilliance. You have brought this show to life with your work. When we all first met this past August, and you asked if I "minded" that we used puppets for the supernatural characters, I know I had found my people. Next, I would like to thank our visionary Scenic Designer, Jack McManus, for bringing this island to life with your magical and dreamy creation. A HUGE thank you to our gifted Costume Designer, Bria Dinkins, for their incredible crafting not only of the student costumes, but our magical puppets as well! The show begins with a shipwreck and I need to thank the incomperable Amy Grebe for envisioning a truly gripping movement piece for our actors. It's so cool! I am extrordinarily grateful to be a part of this team. Thank you to the Administration of Westtown School. It is clear that you all understand the importance of The Arts in our students' lives. Thank you to Steph and Shannon for being my office buddies and keeping me sane! Thank you to our Facilities, Security, and Dining Hall Teams! You have kept us fed, organized, and safe through our whole rehearsal and performance process. Thank you to the entire Westtown Community for welcoming me into this new position with such open arms. Finally, and as always, thanks to my friends and family for all of their love and support.
Enjoy your journey to our Island,
T. Shawn
Westtown School Land Acknowledgement
We are on the ancestral lands of the Lenape people, which they inhabited for thousands upon thousands of years. The Lenape people were pushed off the land by settler-colonialists, and experienced a series of forced relocations. Today, descendents of the original Lenape people belong to five federally recognized nations: the Delaware Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma, Delaware Nation of Oklahoma, Stockbridge-Munsee Community of Wisconsin, and in Ontario, Delaware Nation of Moraviantown and Munsee Delaware Nation. As Westtown School engages in the work of discerning a path towards right relationship with the modern-day Lenape, we honor the Lenape who lived on this land in the past and the Lenape today who yearn for connection with this land.
Pronunciation guide:
Lenape: len-NAH-pay, Lënape
