From Fiddler on the Roof to Spamalot, Ms. Etchason–better known as Ms. Etch–is concluding her directing career at Sandburg with The Drowsy Chaperone. Since 1995, Ms. Etch has been directing musicals and plays in our very own Performing Arts Center, but after 30 years, she will be retiring.
When Ms. Etch is asked about her favorite part of directing musicals at Sandburg, she always says the same thing: “I think it’s great to have an educational endeavor where you have kids from every grade coming together to play music, to build a set, to act and sing and combine all their talents.” Seeing everyone come together, even though they are not earning grades or payment, makes directing all worthwhile in the end for her.
“Theater is a great vehicle for history,” said Ms. Etch when talking about musicals in general, but especially the show Parade. Parade is one of her favorite musicals that she has directed. Parade gave way for people to learn about something in history that they may have never learned in the first place.
West Side Story is another favorite musical Ms. Etch has directed, but for a completely different reason. The year she directed West Side Story was the same year the PAC was being built, making rehearsals very difficult. Some people said that the show would not turn out well, but Sandburg students proved them wrong by putting on an amazing show at Moraine Valley.
Ms. Etch’s favorite memory of directing comes from this same show. As students did not have the same resources for rehearsals as they do now, they had to learn the choreography for the song ‘The Dance at the Gym’ in the gym!
All of these shows start from words in a book and an idea. This is what Ms. Etch will miss the most about directing shows. “You see this thing start from nothing and it’s just words on a page and then you see this thing unfurl, and then all of a sudden it’s in front of people who have never seen it.” The sense of pride the directors and students feel when all of their hard work pays off is something to be proud of.
“Keep on having an open mind,” is her advice for students in the future. “Even if you’ve never heard of [the musical] before, don’t turn down a ticket or an audition because you never know.” Many students did not know much about The Drowsy Chaperone before auditioning, but they took the chance, and the show has been coming together with style and joy.
Having the courage to take the chance means knowing that students will have strong support behind them. “Ms. Etch has a heart of gold. If she goes to bat for you, you are well, well, well taken care of, well defended,” said Mr. Smit, Assistant Director for The Drowsy Chaperone. “She’s just a really, really incredible director, teacher, and friend.”
The Drowsy Chaperone is about a musical coming to life in a die-hard musical theater fan’s living room. After months of practice, Sandburg students are ready to perform in the PAC from May 1 through the May 3 at 7 p.m.
Come support Sandburg creators and artists – including the epic Ms. Etch – this week.