A Note from the Director: Mr. Patrick Williams
This is our third annual Project:Discourse event. In continuing the overall idea of discussion, we are building a stage platform and audience arrangement that will bring together all participants. Theatre can be a tool of critical thinking and personal expression. Tim Robbin’s script dares the audience to formulate opinions and express their own perspective. The original script is usually played with one actress in the role of Sister Helen Prejean. In our production two Mater Dei students play the role. One actress is the narrator and the other actress is in the scenes. This allows the audience to hear and see the story of Sister Helen’s life as told by Bryana Corza and as portrayed in 1984 by Joanna Cornejo. This play is about diginity. This play is about sacrifice. This play is about devotion. I hope through classroom participation, the campus will begin a dialogue about human rights and power of redemption. We have already had students pay attention to current events more than before rehearsals began. One cast member came into the theatre classroom during Play Production class and said, “My Dad and I were watching the news this morning about what’s happening in Georgia.” Later that day in rehearsal, our cast prayed for the lives being touched by the excution of Troy Davis. They know that the characters and events in our play are based on real life, so the cast is discussing real life topics and engaging in journaling and presention exercises. I am really looking forward to the process of involving the campus. In mid-November English classes will attend a performance of scenes and participate in Project: Discourse with the cast. This production is being adjudicated by the California Educational Theatre Association for the CETA High School Festival, and is being reviewed and voted on by the CAPPIES organization.
