Glenbard West’s Fall Musical, ‘Godspell,’ Opens This Week

As high schoolers, we don’t always get along, but if there is one thing we can all relate to it’s the struggle of the overwhelming school work we all have to deal with.

However as much we like to complain about it, there are some benefits. It seems whenever there’s a hard test coming up, or a crazy essay due the next day that you haven’t started because you have countless other things to do, a classmate is always there with a helping hand. Whether they spend their lunch teaching you something your teacher totally didn’t cover, peer editing your rough draft at an ungodly hour, or simply listening to your agony when you didn’t get the A+ you worked so hard for, your peers are there for the rescue.

Think about all the friends you’ve made at school; often times you’ve probably made those friendships by bonding over the hardships of school. In times of need your peers are there to understand your struggles. This is what student community is all about.

This month, Glenbard West Theatre will show you exactly what it means to be a friend through their production of the hit musical Godspell.

Godspell, by Stephen Schwartz, is a show about how a community is born when individuals come together in a time of uncertainty and hardship. In a bohemian inspired setting, the performance will take you through modern versions of popular Biblical stories with timeless morals.

According to director Mr. Fox, “The show is religious […] [ however] in many ways the show can be related to not just to Christianity, but all religions, and all people for that matter.”

Identified by his superhero logo, the show encompasses Jesus as a modern-day hero who teaches his disciples how to face their hardships and how to treat other lovingly.  As the characters grow and learn together, they demonstrate that no matter how much the world changes, we all need someone who can guide us through the hard times, whether that’s Jesus, a superhero, or a friend.

As for the cast and crew themselves, they’ve been hard at work since the beginning of September making sure everything is perfect for November 12th through 14th. Both old and new faces will be taking the stage. Sophomore Cameron Young will be starring as Jesus in his first show at Glenbard West. He will be leading theatre veterans such as seniors Jack Colombo and Anna Stephan and juniors Kate Wild and Ori Harris, as well as many others in the talented cast.

In constant rehearsals, the cast has been working hard to connect and develop their characters. “All shows allow you to be creative and allow you to interrupt characters as you would like,” says director Mr. Fox, “but this particular show goes one step further in that it’s made up in many different stories or parables that we are then bringing to life.”

Godspell is a unique show in which the cast must interpret and create their own stand-forth characters instead of developing them based off a standardized script.

The consensus of the theatre club is that Godspell has been one of the more challenging productions at West but, like always, will be a wonderful performance that will have the whole town buzzing. So don’t miss out when Glenbard West Theatre takes Glen Ellyn through a spiritual journey about friendship and community on Thursday, November 12th through Saturday, November 14th at 7:30 pm.