A MESSAGE FROM THE MIDDLE SCHOOL PRINCIPAL KIM KNIAZ

A heartfelt congratulations to each and every member of the cast and crew of the Middle School musical production of Oliver! JR.! The months of dedication and hard work have brought the HSC community together for three joyful performances of creativity and music - thank you!

I know the cast and crew has grown as a team and as individuals through this process; I’ve seen the pride in your eyes as your self-confidence grows after each rehearsal, heard the excitement in your voice as you describe how your contributions to the production team, and understand the resilience and perseverance you’ve demonstrating each day as you took risks and tried something new. Each of you has so much to be proud of!

A very special thank you to the talented adults who make meaningful co-curricular activities like the musical possible. Under the passionate leadership of Ms Gutauskas, a team of faculty and staff has nurtured a safe space for students to take risks, learn, grow and express themselves creatively. Thank you for your endless energy, encouragement, and support. Bravo!

DIRECTOR'S NOTE ONA GUTAUSKAS

Thank you for attending and supporting today’s Middle School production of Oliver! JR. As you can imagine, the planning process for this winter-term activity started early. During a backyard conversation with the musical team last June, we decided to follow our recent production of Matilda JR. with what struck us as a complementary tale of resilience. We were all well-acquainted with pushing through pandemic obstacles in order to stage last year’s show, so sticking with the theme of perseverance seemed to be a good fit! Indeed, Oliver’s fight against injustice is one that resonates across generations, and the catchy tunes make the musical a must-see for the theatre community. Like the Dickensian tale upon which it is based, Oliver! JR. takes a light and often comedic approach to difficult Victorian-era realities: the rigid class system, toxic relationships, corruption, untimely death, and orphanhood. If you have never encountered characters like Fagin, Widow Corney, or The Artful Dodger, you are in for a treat. Stories like this always remind me to breathe reflectively into the privilege we inhabit today—one not only of dramatically-improved human rights but also this special context of HSC’s vibrant community.

It has been an honour to take on the role of Director for this year’s Middle School production; however, I couldn’t have survived it without the support of the amazing production and creative team. A huge thanks to my colleagues, Nora Hammond, Brandon Prodger, Taryn Fleming, Adrienne Kee, Amber Mills, Theresa Sutch, and Aleecia Brunberg for their patience, guidance, and considerable elbow grease. Thanks also to our costume and set design aficionados, Gail Vedelago and Graham Clements, for helping to make everything look so good! Parent volunteers have also been working hard behind the scenes, and teacher volunteers have been instrumental in helping with student supervision during the in-between times. Thanks to Erica Molinaro for stepping in for Taryn as she departed on her maternity leave, and a heartfelt welcome back to Etta Stone and Clara Roque, who helped with the lights and curtains for this year’s Staff/Alumni/Parent production of Young Frankenstein. I’m eternally grateful for this talented crew.

Enjoy the show!