Dear Editor:
We had the good fortune of attending the May 18 performance of Annie by Theatre Norwell at Norwell District Secondary School in Palmerston.
Anyone attending this show (or any of the previous nights’ sold out shows) would by hard-pressed to distinguish this high school production from any of the myriad professional shows that we have access to in our region. As we joined the several hundred other audience members in a spontaneous standing ovation at the end of the show, several things became evident in our minds.
First and foremost, was the clear commitment of time and effort put in by both the students and teaching staff. It seems so prevalent these days to hear criticism of teenagers regarding their laziness and their frivolous reliance on cell phones, video games, etc., but clearly the 25 to 30 students involved in this show had spent hours of their personal time completely focused on doing their best in whatever their role was in this production.
Similarly, it is not uncommon to hear public criticism of teachers, often regarding their “cushy” jobs, but it is rarer to hear the well-deserved praise for teachers such as the dozen or so directly involved in this production, who have put in hours of personal time, throughout the year, helping these students attain the excellence they have.
Second, it is quite discouraging to continue to see that in our publicly-funded education system, programs in the arts are often the first to be cut when financial burdens require cost saving measures. We seem to have no qualms about spending millions of dollars in Ontario’s public system, planning, implementing and analyzing standardized tests in the naive belief that these tests and their results are the key to a well-balanced and comprehensive education system.
The educational and social values developed through a theatrical production such as this are enormous. Memorization, public speaking, logistics training, strategic planning, technical training, public relations skills are just a few of the skills learned in an endeavour like this.
Equally important are the social skills such as team-building, commitment, conflict resolution, adaptability, inclusion, and many more that students are being exposed to and learning to practise.
And surely, when these students stand on their stage at the end of their shows to repeated standing ovations, the positive impact on their self-esteem cannot be under-estimated. For many young people an experience such as this can not only be a lifelong memory, but also a life-changing experience.
Kudos to all those people who are working tirelessly to keep these invaluable programs alive in our public education system.
Grant and Debi Browning,
Elora