director’s note
To speak about the challenges of 2020 is to state the obvious.
It was a hard year. For all of us. And we will feel its effects for years to come. But that is not the story of this play. This musical is about another thing that I noticed during quarantine: our incredible ability to connect with each other. Human connection has always been the thing that brought me to the theatre. Even as a kid I was taken by the power of sitting in a dark room sharing a story with strangers.
This has not been a traditional High School Musical, but what we have created is unique, interesting and something that I am immensely proud of. And as we pushed this play up a hill none of us could have imagined a year ago, I was constantly reminded why we gather to tell stories. We do it to remind ourselves of our humanity. We do it to connect to each other.
To the students this show is for you, I hope you have found something in it to take with you when we return to a new normalcy.
To my fabulous collaborators Regina Leon, Davyd Suber, Michael Fraioli, Jim Britt, Sam Berman, Laura Gragtmans and others who’ve had more than one conversion with me about this thing that took over my life, thank you for your patience, creativity and your life-giving support.
To Betty Ng-Beckler, Susanna Kwong and all the other parent volunteers thank you for your flexibility and generosity as we invaded your homes throughout this entire process.
To the administration, Jim Kashian, Debbie French, Diana Blank, Daniel Goldberg, Jamie Mandel, John Banks, and all the other members of the faculty and administration thank you for your support, your excitement, and your willingness to let us try.
And to Lisa, who has inspired me more this year than, she will ever know.
Paul Kite
Director
dramaturg’s note
The Party that Almost Wasn’t focuses on a group of friends who try to connect, work, relax, and, most of all, keep from losing their minds during the coronavirus pandemic. Each year, this bunch plans a surprise birthday party for the one friend whose birthday bash during their college years brought them together in the first place. How can they safely host a party during a pandemic?
Our production came together through candid conversations about how our cast and crew handled quarantine, daily virtual after-school rehearsals, tireless coordination by our production team, and upwards of 37.5 takes of certain scenes. The highlights of our process were the few joyful in-person, socially distanced, and masked dance rehearsals with hand sanitizer at the ready. Like the group of friends in the story who resolve to celebrate their friend’s birthday, our cast decided that our show – much like their party – must go on and was happy to be connected apart.
Our story is told through the mediums of video calls, prerecorded videos, text conversations, and social media posts. Creating and filming this show with our friends and mentors reminded everyone involved that, even in these dark times, we can always look on the bright side of life.
So, get ready to laugh, cringe, and cheer as we fight for the right to paaaaaaaaaarrrrrrty!