My First Director's Notes

One decade ago, I was a fourth grader in Avon. I am sure that is just as difficult for many of you to imagine as it is for me. My childhood flew by but not without its ups and downs. I still remember standing in front of my class that year singing songs or reciting the poems from the production of Free to Be... You and Me I was in that year. It is the first show I clearly remember performing, so what better way to make my solo directorial debut than with this very show!

The self-esteem and individuality movements have grown exponentially in school programs and children’s media since Marlo Thomas first published this book, but it seems that children struggle with being confident with and accepting themselves even more now than they did before the movement became mainstreamed in the 1970’s and 1980’s. We have become a nation of families that eat dinner in front of the television, children who barely have time to do their homework between all their activities, and an education system that is so focused on standardization that creativity has been thrown out the window in many districts. It is no wonder that children no longer feel free to be themselves. My hope is that this production shows everyone, adults and children alike, that life is so much more fun when we allow ourselves to be who we are in our hearts, and also that you will always find people to love and accept you for the beautiful soul you have.

I would like to take this moment to thank: my mom for always supporting me and raising me to truly be whoever I wanted to be; Nancy Kotarski for inspiring me to pass on the passion she gave me as a young fourth grader; Lori Riley for teaching me that, “Anything is possible if you believe”; Karen Mayo for always encouraging me to keep pushing forward; Beth Turcotte for showing me that our biggest, craziest dreams can and do come true; Michael Daehn for helping me see myself first and foremost as a teacher; my best friends for, well, everything; the cast and crew of this show for making this a truly magical experience; and last but certainly not least, you for coming out to hear our story. Enjoy the show!