Over the weekend hundreds of spectators came to see High School Musical on stage. The Mountaineers became Wildcats, “brainiacs”, and “jocks” in one of the drama program’s largest productions yet. Mrs. Lia DiFonzo introduced the production in the evening’s program:
“Identity is something everyone seeks to define within themselves, and there is no greater place to do that than in the theatre, where one can explore personalities and traits without fear of judgement. Even though this musical presents “cliques” as stereotypical characters, our students have been understanding themselves better through them. Sometimes an actor plays someone very similar to themselves, like a certain real, Everest “jock” who scored a winning basket like Troy not too long ago. Oftentimes though, students will uncover a hidden side of themselves when they play someone totally opposite of whom people think they are. A student whom many may characterize as a “brainiac” showed she could find a bit of herself in a cheerleader.
Besides finding yourself, one of my other most favorite aspects of theatre is the community aspect. People who have a shared love of something, bonding together to share their time and talent, is so hopeful and encouraging to me. Luckily, this instance of community at Everest occurs during a time of happiness and entertainment, but there are times of darkness when the only shining light is a community coming together in support of a cause. As we represent the East Side High Wildcats in High School Musical, we remember our neighbors at Oxford, who also are the Wildcats. We dedicate this performance to the entire Oxford community. As we identify with the Wildcats this weekend, we think of you in our hearts.
‘We’re all in this TOGETHER (with you)!'”
