Theater is part of our story.
More than three decades ago, in the fall of 1993, Mr. Elliott and I participated in our first theatrical production together. I was a freshman and he was a junior at Westwood High School, and the play was called The Worst High School Play in the World. (It kind of was.) That particular year, I wasn’t able to be in town for the performances, so I served on the costume crew while he was the assistant director and, I’m quite sure, also played some kind of a chipmunk or other vermin. Our first one-on-one conversation occurred because I was wearing a Phantom of the Opera t-shirt, and he asked me if I had seen it. (I hadn’t yet, but have seen it three times since. :)) Through the years, we participated in many shows together, and learned pretty much everything we know about how to create a great show from our high school theater director and music teacher.
There was no Christian school option in our area, so what a blessing it is for us today to have the opportunity to bring theater to the students of CCS along with a biblical worldview of the arts that was missing from our secondary education. And what a joy it is for us to see the students embracing the arts as a gift from God, meant to be carefully stewarded and promoted for God’s glory and for our neighbors’ good.
Last year’s Newsies was such a special show that it was truly difficult to know how to follow it up. We chose Anastasia in part because the music is drop-dead gorgeous and we thought it was the best option for this year’s cast—a talented group of students who could handle the more complex vocals and emotional arc of the principal characters. While our timeline has been extremely tight, we are so proud of what this group of students has accomplished.
But the more I think about Anastasia, the more I realize that this story is not simply a story of Anya finding out who she truly is—the real story is how walking alongside Anya on her journey to the past changes every person she encounters, helping them to see who they are truly meant to be. As directors, that is our hope for our students as well: that as they’ve walked with us and with each other on this journey, they have seen Christ in one another and that none have been left unchanged. We pray that as part of becoming more like Christ, they have become more bold, more courageous, more compassionate, more thoughtful, and more creative in the process—exactly who they are meant to be.
To witness their journey is a gift beyond description that makes all of the late nights, early mornings—and the complete evaporation of the month of April from our calendars—worthwhile. Team Anastasia, we love you. Ten GIANT booms.
Laura Elliott, for the directing team
