By Kaylee Huang

The annual school play is a cornerstone of our performing arts program. Instead of a musical similar to last year’s high school production, Legally Blonde, the Performing Arts department has decided to shift to a whole school musical. Under the direction of Ms. Borodenko, the head of the Performing Arts department, the selection of SpongeBob aims to achieve inclusivity, using a more contemporary show to incorporate a younger cast.

In an interview, Ms. Borodenko explained the rationale behind choosing a whole school production instead of limiting it to just the high school. The motivation for attempting a cross-divisional musical is to get the entire Performing Arts department to work on one project together. This approach not only benefits the students in helping them to build a larger community but also increases visibility for the entire program—creating a musical that includes more students ensures a larger and more diverse audience for the production. 

Ms. Borodenko also addresses the lack of interest shown by many high schoolers regarding the musical. She states that despite the cartoon roots of SpongeBob, the production still remains a contemporary show aimed at a teenage audience. She also emphasizes that many students just refuse to participate because they have never inquired about the nature of the play. Ms. Dewse, the high school theater teacher, expanded on the challenge of high schoolers’ perceptions regarding participation. She noted that many students are often drawn only to productions they consider “cool,” which she claims is most likely the reason behind the lack of high school participation in this year’s musical. 

Ms. Dewse shares a vision for this year’s production that leans towards a more manageable scale, as she isn’t the main director for SpongeBob. She expressed a desire to direct a smaller play rather than a larger musical, noting that directing a musical every year can be extremely taxing. For her, the high school play The Wardrobe represents a perfect balance; it’s not only easier for her to manage a smaller cast, but also the production logistics are much more feasible. 

In conclusion, the shift in genre for this year’s musical was a more drastic change in creative choice for the performing arts department. The aim to foster inclusivity across grades and to attract a larger audience worked well for this specific musical, as the cast performed for 3 nights, delivering a lively and engaging performance that captivated both young and older audience members. Despite complaints surrounding the show’s childish nature, the performance remained a success with a variety of participants and cast members, proving the success of this inclusive approach and perhaps also setting a precedent for future productions. 

And of course our wonderful pit band!