Originally published on April 26, 2016
I have never performed in a musical cast. I have only taken
the stage as an extremely minor extra in the play my senior year. I have,
however, since the spring of my eighth grade year, participated in every
musical Mercyhurst Prep put on, in the orchestra. I was brought into a world I
had never experienced before and I realized, quickly, this is my kind of music. This
is the atmosphere I enjoy. Nothing compares to that flawless opening night
after a long tech run. And you, the MPS Performing Arts Department, showed me.
Had I not gone to Mercyhurst Prep, I might have quit music.
My grade school music program was disheartening, to say the least, and brought
me close to shutting my oboe case and ending my private lessons. But then you
let me try it out, sit in on Phantom and
be in your program listed as “Elizabeth Rathburn ‘15”. I had not even started
high school yet, and already I was a part of the theater family.
The hours of rehearsal we put into the music were unlike
anything I had experienced before. It was strange to spend several hours a week
rehearsing, but at the same time the hard work made the performances fun. For
the first time, I was part of a green room experience. I remember the
transition from being the freshman no one knew to an upperclassman singing the
Our Father proudly and brushing away tears at the kind words from our mentors. And
for that last performance, I was hugging the friends I had made through you, silently
crying through the funeral dance scene in Brigadoon,
mentally preparing myself for the pit strike. It was almost over, except for
those final concerts.
Even though I wasn’t singing a show tune in the annual concerts,
you welcomed my performance. Let me bring my talent to the stage. Bring
something new. Continue what I loved. Show the audience the International
Thespian Society includes performers of all kinds, such as a girl with a recently-damaged
oboe pushing through a tricky Saint-Saens sonata, or a young woman ready to start
her life as a music major, standing on that stage one last time with a song on
her fingers.
You did the same for many others, I know it. There are alums
on Broadway and in college programs and continuing to perform when they can.
You took something that was already inside each of us and brought it to the
open. You gave us an escape from the stressful life of a college prep/IB high
schooler and the ability to use our talents. You helped us hone our skills and
brought us a variety of challenges. You taught us the importance of hard work
and showed us the rewards of capturing an audience.
I know there will be one day soon where I return and I will
not recognize anyone in the cast or crew. There will also inevitably be a day
where another oboe will take my place and I will not be needed at MPS. But I
know I will never forget what I learned during my years with you and what you
have taught me. You took a quiet, disheartened oboe player and turned her into
a music major with a lifelong passion and a place to always return to. Thank
you.
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