“Bold, exciting, and adventurous” were the three words Freshman Kaylen Frasca used to describe Liberty Thespian’s production of Godspell, hours before opening night, April 9th.
This show has held a place in theater director Sharron Chadwick’s heart, as it was one of her first productions in 2004 and will be her last this year, due to her recently announced retirement.
The show itself followed the story of Jesus, from his origin to his crucifixion, with parables and lively songs intermixed between this retelling. “At first it was challenging to make it all fit together…but, eventually, we got there,” junior Scarlett Glazer remarked on opening night. Freshman Derrick McNair confirms this, stating, “It’s been a lot of hours at school, very difficult.”
Derrick and Scarlett are not the only thespian members to be of this opinion, with an anonymous crew member noting that, “the organization was not amazing,” and reiterating the notion that the final decision to produce Godspell was, “not our idea.”
Despite the controversial nature of the play and its production, all performances went on without fault and were enjoyed by students and staff alike. Many Liberty students got the opportunity to preview parts of the play during elective or English classes, promoting Liberty Thespian’s hard work.
Such promotion raised a question for the next year of Liberty Theater, as the incoming director is still unknown: what’s next? While many have speculated nothing can be certain until next year, however, many thespians have hopes of putting on some of their personal favorite plays or musicals. The most common of those being Little Shop of Horrors, Rent, Into the Woods, and Alice by Heart.
Only time will tell what lies in store for Liberty’s theater department, but one thing is certain: theater students’ hard work will not go unnoticed, and their talents will still be showcased on the stage for many years to come.