Heathers – Continuing the Conversation

Continuing the Conversation about Respect, Inclusion, and Belonging

From March 31-April 9, the De La Salle/Carondelet Theatre Company hosted six showings of Heathers the Musical (High School Edition) in the Brother Celestine Cormier, FSC Theatre. As part of the overall theatrical experience, De La Salle and Carondelet students, along with their audiences, took part in dialog to discuss many mental health concerns present in today’s school environment.

Bullying, suicide, school violence, homophobia, and troubled families, are just a few of the issues students and parents struggle with on a daily basis. Parents try to protect teenage children from many of these issues which are painful, difficult, and all too real in the lives of many children today. When it was announced that Company would do Heathers the Musical as its Spring Production, some members of the community were skeptical and asked, “Why Heathers?”

Both schools are pleased that Company continues to be a place of Educational Theater. A place where art helps to enlighten, raise awareness, and open dialogue that benefits individuals involved, the audience, and the wider community. “What happens when the audience sees a character experiencing struggle, doubt, and pain? Empathy,” said Company Co-Director, Ms. Meredith Barnidge. “Our vision in choosing plays such as Heathers the Musical is to downplay the scandal, and rather expose the truth of teen experiences in this dark comedy that are expressed in sometimes absurd and exaggerated ways.”

For the last few years, De La Salle and Carondelet, as two schools, one community, have helped students wrestle with uncomfortable content as an impetus for dialogue and action based in concert with the productions chosen. The content of Heathers the Musical is part of wider school conversations on the themes raised in the performance in collaboration with the school’s Student Support team and various academic departments, as well as community mental health groups. “As Lasallians, we are committed to helping our students to view others with respect and reverence-affirming their dignity, value, and importance in the eyes of God and our community,” said Barnidge. “This is very intentional on the part of the faculty, Company directors, and the schools’ administrations. Issues that both schools have sought to address, Company has continued to partner with, in extending that conversation with the show’s audiences.” Heathers the Musical is yet another extension of the curricular work and opportunities for dialogue that happens on campus, and De La Salle hopes it creates conversation in homes. De La Salle empowers its students to speak and stand against negativity and cruelty. In some cases, the conversation on campus has been ongoing, with school-wide conversations on masculinity, awareness around gender-based harassment, and violence that came before the production of Dogfight.

“As a Lasallian Catholic school, De La Salle High School is called to live out Gospel values even if, and oftentimes because, it is uncomfortable,” said Dr. Heather Alumbaugh, Vice President for Academic Life. “We often tackle challenging issues knowing that while parents are the primary educators of their children, De La Salle too, has a role in ensuring the young men are equipped to have difficult conversations on challenging topics.” “As a Lasallian Catholic school, De La Salle While the show provided an entertaining forum for these questions to be inspired, De La Salle also realized that it is necessary and important

High School is called to bring in experts to help process these ideas to live out Gospel for the students and their parents. De La Salle partnered with Being Well CA to provide values even if, and supplementary information and facilitate often times because, conversations for students and the wider school community. Being Well CA’s mission is to reduce it is uncomfortable.” anxiety, depression, and suicide ideation in our youth. They do this by providing schools, parents, students, and communities with workshops, tool kits, and training to improve mental health support. Prior to the launch of the show, Company cast and crew members integrated ongoing empathy exercises as part of rehearsals, as Being Well CA facilitated both a cast/crew workshop and one for parents of cast/crew on Hope and Suicide Prevention. If you are interested in learning more about what De La Salle is doing to help its students work through their mental health concerns, visit the De La Salle website at dlshs.org/campus-life/ student-support.