A Note from the Assistant Director, Dan Lake
In a 1994 film driven by the pyrotechnic facial expressions of then-ubiquitous Jim Carrey, the droll movie personality and Comedy Central game show host Ben Stein lectured smugly: “We all wear masks, metaphorically speaking.” A quarter century later, we all ditched the metaphor. Neither is the distance between us metaphorically vast; it’s physically at least six feet, and that only for short periods of time among people we trust. Pontius Pilate might have metaphorically washed his hands of responsibility, but we lather ourselves in actual hot water and soap for two passes through the “Happy Birthday” song. Now, when we want to “clear the air,” we mean cranking up the ionizing air purifiers that look like R2-D2’s crewcut cousin.
This is the climate in which we began our work on Little Women this spring. Despite the obstacles, student interest was high. Linganore’s drama department is overstuffed with talent, and the constraints of pandemic-era interactions meant putting on a show with a woefully small cast. We tried to make do with just a couple rehearsals per week. Amid all the constraints, these dedicated actors banded together to find their voices in Amy, Beth, Jo and Meg March and the characters who shape the girls’ young lives. A skeleton tech crew worked efficiently to create a set we could all admire. Our 2021 production of Little Women has been a labor of love and a statement of determination in the face of daunting odds - not too different from the March sisters’ own journeys through adversity.
Special thanks to Angela Smithhisler for her ability to turn the most dire circumstances into gold; Damon Dye for his incredible expertise, care and motivational talents; Emma Davis for her exceptional flair for thoughtful, compassionate leadership; Kevin Aquino for his depth of experience and immense commitment to the LHS drama program; Gabbie Smith for her creativity and true team spirit; and the whole amazing cast and crew of Little Women. Congratulations on all your incredible work!
A Note from the Director, Angela Smithhisler
Ah, how long I have held my breath to get to this point where we are back on the stage, working together as a group to create and tell a story. I don't need to remind you how long this past year has been, as we've all experienced the pandemic in our own way. For me, as a teacher and director, the lack of engagement and collaboration with my drama students has been the hardest. I've said this often before, and I'm not sure everybody really realizes it. But the amount of time and energy that goes into relationship building and creative vision for a theatrical performance is akin to a sports team. The camaraderie between cast and crew members is infectious, and a strong bond with the cast makes the show all that much more powerful to see and experience. I've missed my students a lot, but I am overjoyed to finally be back in the theatre with them. Of course, it's way different this time around. Sure, we have to wear masks and improve our facial emotions. Yes, we have to stay distanced and change the way we interact with each other, both on and off stage. And yeah, Tech Week Dinners were not nearly as interesting and lacked way too many tater tots and mac n'cheese options. But... we did it. We came together amidst a tumultuous and ever-changing time period, we auditioned, rehearsed, constructed, danced, painted, and sang our way to a final product that we are proud of. And we're excited to share it with you, the audience. Each and every single actor and crew member in this production came to the table with such high energy and enthusiasm. I think we all have been starving for live theatre., so we were ready to hit the ground running at that very first rehearsal. And it can't be stressed enough, so I'll say it again louder for those in the back. Our program does not receive any funding from the county or school. We earn our keep entirely through donations and ticket sales, and one of those things is $0 this spring. Therefore, if you like what you see, and if you want Linganore Drama to continue making amazing theatre in the future, please please please consider making a donation.
A thousand thanks over to so many people who helped make this production a reality. Kevin Lloyd, Cindy Hanlon and all the LHS administrators, Kim Hirschmann, thank you so much for your support of the arts. Thank you to Dan Lake for being a calm and steady voice through all of this; Damon Dye for his talent to bring out the best singing from our actors; Emma Davis, Gabbie Smith, and Kevin Aquino for bringing such passion and energy to your cast. Thank you to Mike Miller for killer pictures and video; Sarah Field for the creation of custom face masks for each cast member; Rick Guariglia for awesome cast shirts; Stephanie Hatmaker for amazing headshots; Roger Rich for your assistance with the livestreaming; and Cody Gilliam for his talents as a wigmaker! And I would be remiss if I didn't thank my awesome husband, for always cheering me on, even during a panoramic.
Thank YOU, the audience, for supporting live theatre. We are overjoyed that you've decided to share in this production of Little Women. Please, enjoy the show!
