PJ McGovern (the kid) and Michael Bonistalli '00 asleep in the Garden
in the Spring, '98 production of GODSPELL.

"To love another person is to see the face of God."
- Les Miserables

Theme statements. For each show we work on, I ask the students to find a theme statement that summarizes the entire show in a single line. Most authors, afraid the audience may not "get it", inevitably put one in. The easiest example of a theme statements is above. But where is the theme statement in Godspell ? Ironically enough, it can not be found in the Gospel According to St. Matthew but rather in the Gospel of St. John:

"And God so loved the world, he sent his only son."
- John 3:16

It would appear love is what it is all about. How fitting.

Over the course of the past eight years as Director of Theatre, I have had the honor to work with some truly exceptional young adults; many from the same families. Names like Wilkes, Dunnigan, Boswell, Szabo, Onah, Arapian and Bonistalli keep popping up all over the place! And you know what? If the truth be told, not a one of them will ever perform on a Broadway stage. There will probably be no Tonys, Emmys or Oscars for any of my students. I couldn't care less.

Theatre, since it's founding in 1977 as St. John's Drama by my predecessor, friend and mentor, Mr Howard Dent, has never been about artistic success. Oh we want to mount quality productions, mind you. It is just that that is not the most important part of what we do. Love is.

Love of the theater? Definitely. A love of performing? Of course. I even hope they carry away with them a greater sense of love for school and community. But I believe that theater has a greater potential for love. I believe that performance is a direct response to Christ's call to love our fellow man... to relieve the sufferings of the world. What better way to answer this call than by performance? To invite an audience into our world for an hour or two and to carry them away from their worries and woes. To share with them some special moment or sentiment... What better way to answer His call to love?

This type of love carries tremendous responsibility. But in the past eight years, the students in Theatre have not once disappointed me. Oh, some shows are better than others. They always are. But for some reason, Theatre has always attracted the very best St. John's has to offer. The vast majority of Theatre students are in honors classes. Most are on at least one, if not more sports team. Many are in the band. On stage tonight we have both SJC's first female Cadet Colonel and the Sophomore Class President, a member of the JV basketball team and more cheerleaders, rangers, officers, scholarship holders and swim team members than you could shake a stick at. These students know responsibility. And they know how to love.

Am I proud of them? Isn't it obvious? Most of tonight's performers have never been cast in a musical before. Only two have ever performed outside of Theatre. But they knew responsibility and they came eager to love. And, as our show tonight states... " through their hard work and perserverance, they have yielded a harvest". So come sing about love. And may you enjoy tonight's performance as much as we have enjoyed bringing it to you. It is our gift to you.

A gift of love.