Sisters Clare Connors (left) and Maeve Connors (right) play sisters in HF-L’s production of Arsenic and Old Lace which will be in HF-L’s newly-renovated auditorium next week. Photo provided by Andrea Borrelli
BY ANDREA BORRELLI
Mrs. McDougall, the great director of HF-L Middle School plays in 1984, was sitting in the famous orange seats in the auditorium… Her little frame was engulfed by orange… I was a new kid to HF-L, just wanting to impress everyone with my master thespian skills. I was from the west side… We were a little more worldly… or so I thought… As I auditioned, she smiled and that was good. She thought I was funny and kept me on stage for an hour to interact with everyone… When all was said and done… I got a part that was written in, but I was a proud cast member. During the performance, I remember hearing my brother, Kenny, laugh the loudest. To this day, I remember where he sat. Backstage, the lime green walls had names written of those who had gone before us and we were a part of that. That stage locked in my love for theater.
42 years later… I have been teaching at my beloved HF-L for 30 years and have had at least 70 performances on that very stage. I can feel Mrs. McDougall’s beaming spirit telling me, “I told you you were meant for this stage; you just didn’t expect how.” And as an educator, I have seen students embrace their talents on this very stage. There’s a feeling of magic and sacredness to the space. The acoustics are AMAZING… and the familiarity is heartwarming.
I was nervous about the construction process. I knew that names would be gone. The seats, the same ones since 1984, would be replaced… and the orchestra pit filled in. I was anxious. I didn’t know if “my favorite classroom” would be transformed into a cold hospital like space. As I walked into the finished auditorium, I felt that old familiar feeling and was relieved.
I know many people in this community had memorable experiences on this stage. It’s still there; it just got a much needed upgrade. Words cannot express how much I love that space and what it has meant to me to give others their own experiences… Maybe they aren’t locked in their memory as my experience was, but it’s an honor to witness it.
For the grand reopening of the High School Auditorium, it is truly an honor to be the director of the first performance on the new stage. The HF-L students will be performing “Arsenic and Old Lace” Friday, November 14 and Saturday, November 15 at 7pm. Tickets will be on sale using cash or check at the door. This cost is $10 for adults and $8 for students. Please join us for this exciting occasion. We look forward to see you there!
