Leapin' Lizards, from February 13th through to the 20th, Crescent Heights High School’s Wahl / Harker theatre had the hottest ticket in town with sold out performances of the musical Annie. Not only did it out sell all other plays in the community, but also set records for attendance at a high school play. There were over 65 performers in grades 7 to 12 involved with the musical that included a full orchestra. Annie was directed by Jennifer Davies, and the musical director was Danielle Wahl. The support from the C.H.H.S. community was terrific. Costumes, sets, and props were all produced from C.H.H.S. staff, students and parents. Sarah Pitcher and Moura Bourdon were the creative forces behind the complex choreography. Gwen Kowalchuck and Sarah Pitcher were also impressive as the stage managers for the backstage. Throughout the run of the show, there were as many as 20 parents and staff who were assisting. The musical brought students, staff, and parents together to create an elaborate show that was enjoyed by thousands of people. The reviews from the audience were outstanding – making each performance a spectacular event. There were two C.H.H.S. parents who are also teachers that participated as actors in the show. Myles Thorson was the elegant Daddy Warbucks and Pam Chisholm was the hilarious Miss Hannigan. Both actors were brilliant in their roles. A note of gratitude to the students who participated in the musical, it was such a pleasure to see you rise to the moment. Your dedication, your talents and your kind hearts brought so much to the performances. Annie was a major event for C.H.H.S. ; we hope that it was always be a special event in your lives years beyond your time at C.H.H.S. You made this musical an exceptional one that Medicine Hat will never forget and all others will be compared to. Well done!
The Drama, Social Studies, and English Departments worked together to collaborate on this big production. English classes prepared students by using the poems and short stories in lessons which engaged students in the writing of the children of Terezin. World War II, propaganda, discrimination, racism, and human rights are all topics covered in the Social Studies curriculum. The drama classes met surviving families of the ghetto, now living in Medicine Hat, to prepare for their performance. The link between these subject areas should made both the curriculum and the actual play more meaningful to students. C.H.H.S. students will viewed the play during school time with their classes. Evening performances also occured. Audiences saw a massive set that places you in the centre of the ghetto in WW II. The play showcased technical and special effects as staged by 20 students with an 18 additional students performing the play. The tech, design, costumes and sets are all developed and run by students in the class. Over 15,000 Jewish children passed through Terezin, a military garrison set up as a ghetto during World War II, on the way to the gas chambers in Auschwitz. One of the survivors, Raja, teaches the children and helps to give them hope creating a little world of laughter, of flowers and butterflies behind the barbed wire. There were no butterflies at Terezin, but butterflies became a symbol of defiance, making it possible for them to live on and play happily while waiting to be transported. The play is based on poems and drawings by those children that were published in a book. Staging a major play like “I Never Saw Another Butterfly,” doesn’t come easily. Each semester the Theatre Arts class stages at least one major production where every student in the class has the opportunity to perform on stage. Students in these classes also do their share of completing production roles for these plays. “I Never Saw Another Butterfly” has won critical acclaim as it displays the importance of art, music, education and culture in peoples' lives. It is a story of hope and inspiration as children helped one another live until their lives were destroyed by hate. It is a story that should be told and listened to carefully.
