Loosening our Feet One Last Time

The teenage years are ones which come with a greatly increased self- consciousness, where identities and ideas blossom, but they also come with the struggle of learning how to express these ideas. Experiencing the enlightenment that Bomont's teen population felt in Footloose reminded us Ann Arbor-ites of the journeys we have taken in high school, and the growing that we, like Bomont's kids, have done. As a senior who will soon be graduating not only from high school, but from this era of my life, this show has helped me, as well as many other students who participated in the show, to reflect on their high school experiences. As we near the end of this school year and production season and realize we truly are leaving this stage of our lives, a time which we never thought would actually come, these reflections seem to become even more profound. Looking back at the person I was freshman year, and the person I am now, I am amazed at how much I have grown without realizing it. High school was not only 4 years of schooling, but it was 4 years of learning, and as much as I learned inside the classroom, the majority of my growth happened outside of the classroom, particularly at Theatre Guild. Being in a place with such accepting people who share a desire for expression and inspiration is truly a surreal experience. It has helped me to step beyond the boundaries of adolescence and take charge of my life and my beliefs, unashamed to show the world that I am unique. I didn't know how powerful passion could be until I stepped onto the stage in Schrieber Auditorium and learned the music to the opening number of "High School Musical," two weeks into my freshman year. Sure, Theatre Guild strived to produce good shows, but more importantly it strived to produce community efforts, and it was these efforts that had and always will have such a powerful impact on my life. These shows brought together kids from all different walks of life, but our differences somehow disappeared when the curtain rose. We were no longer individual performers. We were one unified ensemble, a cooperative family that put every ounce of passion into expressing to the audience the beauty that we had experienced and created during our rehearsal process. This beauty that grew out of drilling harmonies, running lines, listening to guest lecturers, learning choreography, and spending some of the busiest weeks of our lives together playing frisbee at 10 pm after a draining tech rehearsal. This beauty that seeped out of our pores and spilled onto the stage in each song, each show, each memory. This beauty that will never be forgotten. Theatre Guild has impacted nearly every person who participated in it at any length. Now, of course I say that because I am biased towards this organization, but I also say that because I have experienced the growth of this community first hand. I have seen the journeys that people have taken over the past few years, and I have seen them blossom into mature, insightful, exressive human beings with a fervor for finding beauty in the world and sharing it with everyone around them. In a time of economic hardship that causes great stress in our society, it has been more important than ever to find that special haven where worries fade and we can allow our music to take us to where our visions become reality. As we are nearing the end of our season, I want to thank all of you for taking our journey with us. It has been a pleasure to introduce you to this complex, mysterious, exhillarating world of music and theatre. I hope that learning a litle bit about the processes that we go through to produce shows will help you to see artistic productions in a new light. Theatre Guild has changed my and many others' lives, and will continue to change lives as long as it exists, with the help of our strong community support. You can be a part of this support by coming to see our final musical for this season! :) Footloose will be closing with shows this Friday 4/30 at 7:30 pm, Saturday 5/1 at 7:30 pm, and Sunday 5/2 at 2pm. Tickets are available at the door or online at showtix4u.com (assigned seating.) Tickets are $9 for students, seniors, and PHS staff, and $12 for adults. It's an affair you don't want to miss, so be sure to get there a little bit early to get good seats if you're buying at the door! See y'all in Bomont!