Theater Students Inspired After Working with UPS for Downs Actors
Sophomores Thomas Bollard and Joe Kaiser already are veterans in Saint Viator’s theater productions, but for the last six months they have volunteered as student directors with another theater group: UPS for Downs, or United Parental Support for Down Syndrome.
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This weekend, Thomas and Joe will be working behind the scenes of Grease, the School Edition, taking place on the Joanne Calzaretta Stage at Saint Viator. The production features nearly 50 actors — from ages 11 to 39 — with and without Down Syndrome. Another dozen Saint Viator students will work behind the scenes of the show and serve as ushers and selling concessions.
Performances take place at 7 p.m. Thursday and Friday, and at 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Purchase tickets here.
“Last year I ushered for the performance, and wished I was a bigger part, so I was pleasantly surprised when Ms. Gray asked if I would be able to help out with rehearsals this year,” Joe says. “I have never created a bond so strong with a group of people working on a show together. I always looked forward to going to rehearsal every Tuesday.”
Thomas agreed, adding how much he enjoyed getting to know the actors individually — and see them grow throughout the course of the rehearsals.
“Through the course of six months, the cast’s skills on stage significantly improved and I am so happy to have been able to be a part of their growth,” Thomas said.
Ms. Megan Gray, chair of the fine arts department, directed the show after helping out last year. The cast rehearsed each week at a venue in Schaumburg before hitting the stage at Saint Viator this week.
“This is the most positive group of performers I have ever encountered — they are constantly encouraging one another and lifting each other up, onstage and off,” Ms. Gray says. “Although we do have a shiny, impressive production awaiting our audiences at the end of the week, for me, it’s all about the process.
“From auditions, to choreography, to learning the music, problem-solving quick changes, memorizing lines, and much more,” she adds, “there are so many skills that our actors have learned throughout the course of the year that can also benefit them in their day-to-day lives. It has been the joy of a lifetime to get to work with this incredible team.”
This is the second time UPS for Downs has produced Grease, and it’s the group’s 17th musical overall.
The benefits are many, say UPS for Downs members, from gaining the poise and confidence of performing on stage, to the relationships they build with one another, and the community members involved in the production.
Producing the musicals also advances the mission of UPS for Downs, which is to inspire community acceptance by sharing with others the presence, potential and abilities of people with Down Syndrome.
Volunteering with the cast and crew allowed Saint Viator students to see that potential and abilities, firsthand.
‘Along the way, I learned the importance of encouraging peers through kind words and actions,” Joe says. “Most importantly, I learned what it is like to develop a show surrounded by such a joyful and kind group of people.”
Saint Viator High School
Located in Arlington Heights, IL, Saint Viator High School is a private, co-ed, Catholic school for grades 9-12. Students benefit from a challenging academic program, fine and performing arts, competitive athletics, and a wide selection of extracurricular activities.