Valparaiso High School - Valenian Yearbook (Valparaiso, IN)

Page 16 text:

Godspell: A usual, unusual musical Everything was different, but every- thing was the same. The gold velvet curtain parted, exposing the cast to the hushed audience as it always did. But this time it parted in July, not No- vember and audience members were clad in short sleeved shirts and cotton slacks, not wool coats. Weekday nights were filled with rehearsals, but week- days were not filled with schoolwork. Eight weeks were put into the prepara- tion of Godspell, but no one seemed to mind. The obvious difference was that this year the traditional semi-annual fall musical was presented on July 9-11. The reasoning behind this, according to Director Alice Noble was that Musi- cal Director Daniel Pritchett would not have ample time in the fall, due to his schedule as Marching Band Director. WHILE SINGING Long Live God. Mark Daniels, Andy Dix, and Kent Grelling, all ensemble mem- bers, carry Jesus (Kelly Brant) out of the audito- rium after his crucifixtion. The seasonal change also made it ea- sier on the 15 member cast since the additional pressures of school were not present. Although rehearsals were held every weekday night for eight weeks, cast members did not mind. “When the show was over, I felt an unexplainable sadness, commented Brent Bennett who played John the Baptist. “I grew to love the play and all the people involved. One fact remained indisputable: it was a lot of work. From the time the curtain opened at 8 p.m. until the very end, no cast member left the stage. According to Ms. Noble, this had never been done before in any VHS produc- tion. Although this was an added strain on cast members, Noble felt this charac- teristic made the show what it was. “The focus was on every individual all the time,” she explained. “Godspell ex- emplified that people are people. No matter what faults they have, religion and Jesus Christ as we know it accepts them. I think it is a play of accep- tance, she added. Amidst the heavy schedule of re- hearsals, there were many other jobs to be done. Noble and cast members were responsible for all promotion, costume and set designing, and selling the $3 tickets. A crew of four students handled the lighting during the play. If, at first glance, Godspell seemed ordinary, a closer look showed us that although the main ingredients were there, below the surface changes were quite evident. — Kimberly Page FOLLOWING JESUS ' ORDERS to create and com- plete a face are Ensemble Member Jennifer Car- michael and John the Baptist (Brent Bennett). SONIA (JUDY NEAL) tempts Jesus (Kelly Brant) to change his pure ways while seductively singing Turn Back O’ Man. Jesus however, refuses her offer. 12 Godspell

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in a while is good, to watch television, listen to music or have a party, commented sophomore Missy Meyer. Most students said they went out about three nights a week, although this did vary. Some went out as many five nights a week, while others averaged only one. Although most students did not have traditional jobs, many did have odd jobs such as lawn mowing or baby- sitting. Almost all of the students surveyed said that whether cr not they had a job definitely did affect how many nights per week they could go out and how much money they could spend. ‘‘My folks don’t dish out money to me unless it is a special occasion, so if I want to do something, I usually pay for it myself, said sophomore Brian Blackman. Having fun could get very expensive, with some stu- dents spending up to $20 weekly on fun activities. Fun meant different things to different people. To some of us it meant always being with a large group of friends, while to others, curling up at home with a good book could be just as pleasing. Whatever fun was, it was certainly not lacking in the after school hours of most VHS students. — Kimberly Page SHAKEY’S, A FAVORITE hangout for post-game gathering provides a loose atmosphere for Juniors Gina Giorgi. Lynn Chrustowski, and Barbie Jones.

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RHYTHMATICALLY MOVING TO Oh Bless The Lord My Soul, Keith Ludwig and Cindy Dowd, both ensemble members aid Lisa Glenn while she performs this solo. ENSEMBLE MEMBERS Andy Dix and Gina Moore ask God to help them by singing God Save the People. 13 Godspell