VAPARTS

It’s been a long time, but theatre is finally back.

This fall, Justin-Siena produced the docu-drama 110 Stories, our first live production since March 2020. This was an emotional weekend of theatre for the performers, not just because we were telling the story of September 11, but because we were live. We were together, in community. It was the first time we had heard applause or laughter or even people unwrapping cough drops. It was wonderful to be together, even with masks, Covid testing, and distancing. Everyone knows the last year and a half have been tough, but perhaps not everyone has thought about how much they depended on artists as a lifeline to normalcy. Where would we have been without streamed performances? How would we have processed our isolation? How would we have managed to connect? Last year, we did eight productions online, including a stand-up comedy night, an improv show, and a filmed musical. We have never before produced that many events in a year (one per month). Why did we do this? Because the students needed it. The audience needed it.

What have audiences missed?

The excitement of seeing a show for the first time The surprise of a new performer knocking it out of the park The sound of applause The ability of theatre to transcend a moment, to teach us something new, to bring us together

And the students?

The self-confidence and self-esteem The cooperation and collaboration The focus and concentration The stress relief and joy of creating The social awareness

If ever our world needed arts, it’s now. It asks us to examine ourselves and our world. It demands we listen to other points

of view. Theatre promotes social discourse, dialogue, and social change. Art models for us the kind of discourse that lies at the heart of our democracy—to listen, to hear different sides of the story, to put ourselves in the place of others. It demands we be better.

VAPARTS

Scratching the Surface

Often the justification for the arts in schools is a “well-rounded education.” But the truth is that all of the arts (choir, dance, film, instrumental music, theatre, and visual arts) offer students a skill set that is vital and necessary to participate in the modern world. The pandemic required that students use their “superpowers” to dissect the moment and help move themselves and us forward. It was a real-world test that proved that the arts are not merely an “elective,” but an essential part of education for the 21st century.

AboutFACE

How do you see yourself in the digital world?

Performances you may have missed

From the book by

STUDS TERKEL

Adapted by

STEPHEN SCHWARTZ and NINA FASO

With additional contributions by

GORDON GREENBERG

A Musical

Songs by CRAIG CARNELIA • MICKI GRANT • LIN-MANUEL MIRANDA MARY RODGERS and SUSAN BIRKENHEAD STEPHEN SCHWARTZ • JAMES TAYLOR

New Orchestrations by Alex Lacamoire

A full-length movie musical... An emotional docu-drama... A concert that was out of this world... Singing to ring in the holidays. You won’t want to miss... ComedySportz High School League — Jan 20 - 23 Spring Concert — May 7 Spring Musical, Something Rotten! — March 25 - April 3

BRAVEBILL

Established 1969

BRAVEBILL

Established 1969

BRAVEBILL

Established 1969

By Sarah Tuft

Romeo & Juliet. . . KINDA SORTA THE COMEDY OF October 22 – 24th, 2021 BY PATRICK SCHMITZ Romeo & Juliet. . . KINDA SORTA THE COMEDY OF 2021: A Space Orchestra Instrumental Winter Concert Saturday • Nov. 13th • Siena Hall BY PATRICK SCHMITZ Romeo & Juliet. . . KINDA SORTA BY PATRICK SCHMITZ THE COMEDY OF A Choral Christmas Concert Saturday • December 11th