Working on this classic story penned by Louisa May Alcott has been a true treat. Presenting it the weekend of and the weekend following Veteran's Day was a happy accident. As we took time to honor and thank the men and women who have fought and continue to fight to keep us free, I was reminded of the March women. Life for these little women is vastly changed when their father leaves to fight in the civil war. They must learn to survive with an incomplete family unit. What strikes me about the story of Little Women is that everything, both the big and the small aspects of life, are harder without their father. The girls navigate romance and finding their place in the world as well as daily arguments and lack of Christmas spirit. Nothing is the same while their father is gone. This thought brought me back to the men and women who bravely fight for us and to the family members that they leave at home. The families of our soldiers and veterans are unsung heroes. They wage a battle of their own: the battle of continuing on with life despite a terrific void in their family unit. We would like to dedicate this show to the families of our veterans and active duty armed forces. We are so thankful for your sacrifice!
As with any production, there are too many people to thank! I first want to take a minute to thank my super supportive family. They have helped in unbelievable ways over the course of this production. Thank you mom and dad for always speaking words of truth and encouragement to me when I need them most and for being my biggest cheerleaders in word and deed. Zach, thank you for being someone I can always count on when I am in a pinch; I feel so blessed to have a brother like you. To mom and dad Ordaz, thank you for your blood, sweat, and tears; I love our big theatre family! And last, but not least, Matt- words cannot express my thankfulness for you. There is no one else that I would rather "do life with" than you! I thank God for you more and more every day!
To all of the amazing team surrounding me, I cannot say thank you enough. Your talent and passion inspire me and it is an honor to work alongside you. Cast and crew parents- THANK YOU so much for your support along this journey. It takes a village to put on a theatrical performance and we are so thankful that you and your child are able to be a part of our theatre family. Thank you to the WCHS Board, Administration, and Staff for providing us a place to use the gifts and talents of performance to praise God! We understand what a sacrifice that can be! Finally, to the amazing high schoolers that make up our cast and crew- thank you for your wit, your hard work, and your passionate spirits! Watching you tackle such difficult material with the poise and grace with which you do it, never ceases to amaze me. Above all, I am so proud to see you identify the gifts and talents given to you by our Creator and even more proud to see you determine to use them to glorify HIM!
On behalf of the many people who have put in countless hours to tell this story of Little Women, we welcome you to the show and thank you so much for your attendance! We hope that you can enjoy the experience as much as we've enjoyed putting it together. As you do so, we ask you to say a quiet prayer for those families who are still waging the war at home, while their loved ones are gone fighting for our freedom, giving us the opportunity to tell you this story today.
Blessings,
Melissa Ordaz
