Cristo Rey Jesuit debuted its first group of thespians on Friday, May 21st at its production of All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten in the Cristo Rey Café.
The play included materials from Robert Fulghum’s books All I Really Need to Know I Learned In Kindergarten; It was on Fire When I Lay Down On It; Uh-Oh; Maybe, Maybe Not; and From Beginning to End. It was collection of lessons and moral tales touching on a variety of topics from life-long love to following your dreams, to the meaning of life and death.
The production was professional from start to finish, with stage lighting and a lighting board, a sound system, musical accompaniment, and a playbill-like program. The most professional aspect of the play, however, was the student actors themselves. Each of them –many of whom had never taken a Drama class before –performed with zest and emotion.
Assistant Director, Jeremy Zipple, SJ, said, “It was extraordinary to watch the transformation from the beginning of rehearsal to the final production. One student, who had been pretty dismissive of the whole process said to me afterwards that he couldn’t believe the adrenaline rush and he couldn’t wait to do it again next year.”
The students were not natural-born stars, however. They worked hard all semester to reach the caliber of acting seen during the performance of the pay.
“They were just so lacking in talent,” said Zipple. “They were so awful. I laughed when I first saw them, but it was exciting to see them come out of their shells. On opening night, to watch them with such confidence brought a few tears to my eye.”
The following week, Katie Davis, the play’s Director said, “I am still reeling with joy and pride as a result of our amazing young actors –who knew they could pull it off so professionally? They honestly blew me away.”
Davis added that the students, staff and faculty who contributed their time and efforts helped achieve one of the most important goals of the school: “Empowering our students with skills, accomplishments, and dreams that reveal to them just how wonderful they are and can be”
