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Little Traverse Civic Theatre
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The Christmas Schooner

Director's Notes

  Back in October of 1995, I was asked to audition for a production of a new holiday musical that was being directed by a dear friend of mine, David Zak of Bailiwick Repertory Theatre in Chicago, IL.  My initial reaction was one of ambivalence, but he pressed and I auditioned and landed the role of Oskar.  I remember our first read-through of the script as though it was yesterday.  The script was in manuscript form as it had not yet been published and we were reading through the lyrics as poetry because none of us knew the music.  I remember thinking as we read, "Wow, I never knew this happened in Michigan!?!?! I grew up there!  How could I not know this?"  But what I seem to remember most vividly is the absence of our director, David, that first night.  As we read through the script discovering the layers upon layers of complex emotion written in the words and lyrics, the fragility of life, how our blessings can be taken from us, the importance of family, cultural traditions both new and old, another drama was unfolding unbeknownst to us.
  That evening as we finished our read-through, we learned that our director's mother, Helen Zak, had suffered a major stroke.  Days later she died.  We all were profoundly affected by her passing and all of us knew that the process of rehearsing this production was going to take its toll on us all, especially David.  There were many nights of tears, and emotions ran high, but in the end we were left with a profound sense of, well, goodness and peace.  And just as Peter Stossel wanted to bring the Tannenbaum to his cousin Martha in Chicago over a century ago, I have wanted to bring the trees to you for the last ten years.  Peter Stossel and I have a lot in common-sometimes a memory can affect you so much that you heart just swells to a proportion that stifles all reason and you just have to follow your heart.  The Christmas Schooner  is my Christmas present to northern Michigan.
  As you experience tonight's performance and celebrate the holiday season, take time to reflect that this season is not necessarily a season of giving and receiving, but one of sharing.  God bless us all and enjoy the show!  

"Our blessings aren't ours to keep.  They're meant to be passed along."


Little Traverse Civic Theatre
461 E Mitchell St, Petoskey MI 49770

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