There is something about performing arts that is healthy for a community. This is particularly so for adolescents. When a kid drops the role by which he/she is known to friends to assume a stage character, the option of future real life roles may be considered. For students attending a dramatic production the experience of witnessing an actor/friend's liberation on stage is equally liberating. We don't have to stay stuck in the adolescent poses we have chosen up to this moment.
This dynamic is particularly highlighted by a show like Cabaret, which was an immense success on Friday and Saturday. Like the citizens of Berlin, school communities all struggle with issues of tolerance and diversity. Consider, for example, homophobia. On stage, student actors took the risk of assuming roles of homosexuals, bisexuals, and transvestites. The audience response seemed to suggest we were better for the experience.
Congratulations are due to the actors, tech support, and directors Terry Stoecker and Michael Littman, who continue to make art a life-changing experience for Proctor students.
