MUSICAL & ARTS

Scott: My job is to oversee the process. It is important to know what the audience is seeing, so I typically sit back and watch the practices and rehearsals and take notes as needed. I like to think of myself as the person who makes the small adjustments to ensure it all comes together in the end.

Scott: With current circumstances, I do admit I had lost some confidence that the process would be so competent this time; but again, as I have watched this show evolve and develop, the same inexplicable process has come again, and I can already see the show that [“HSM2”] will become.

Scott: This is the one place in school where you aren’t graded. To me, that is virtuous, as making mistakes is critical to the process of learning. Make mistakes. Make as many

too. It is easy to say that we are united and that we are a family without recognizing why that is. There is an inept spirit within us all. We all share a passion. Sharing takes a village, and that is what we are. We are here to make mistakes together, so we shall revel in that together.

Wood: The biggest challenge for me has been the lack of in person communication. Most of the planning was over email or Google Meet.

Wood: It’s pretty nerve wracking, but also very exciting. I’ve never done scenic design in this capacity before, so it was all a big learning curve. Everybody has been so helpful and patient when I’m not quite sure what I’m doing. I really have learned so much this year, especially with the pandemic adding another challenge.

Wood: It’s really amazing watching everything come together. It started off with

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1. The cast of HSM2 performs “Everyday” at dress rehearsal on May 5. 2. Seniors Elle Ouimet and Jacqueline Le, and junior Jason Jones perform “Everyday Rehearsal.” 3. Senior Evan Fitch looks up after tossing a basketball in the air at the end of “Bet On It.” Photos by Lilly Khalkho, Prajna Chakravarty

Lott: My favorite production I have taken a part in is “High School Musical 2”. After a year of being away from my theater family, performing on

Lott: I love being a Sharpette. Being a leader as a named ensemble member allows me to connect with my cast so easily, and meet the new members of the company. My role, Peaches, is so sassy, and this character allows me to play around on stage. I also love my costumes.

Lott: I would thank RRPA for being a true family to me. They have given me an amazing four years filled with laughter. The directors have taught me so much that I will be taking into the real world after high school, and I can’t thank them enough for that.

In February of 2021, sophomore Zahria Ford won the Northern Region branch of the 2021 Strong Men & Women in Virginia History student writing contest for her poem “Colors.” Ford channeled the challenges and emotions she faced as being one of the only African Americans in her previous school into her poetry to write “Colors.”

Ford: I started learning more about poetry at a summer poetry camp by Furious Flower [in the summer before seventh grade]. There, they helped me learn more vocabulary and more about poetry structure, how to build up my writing, how to perform it. I received so much wonderful feedback from that camp and that really helped me grow into the writer I am today.

Ford: It was so amazing; it was so fantastic to take such a bad experience and turn it into this amazing thing. I was very surprised, I didn’t think I was going to win. I want them to learn from my poem about things to do and things not to do when you approach a minority so that you don’t make them feel left out. To the people who are in a similar situation as me, I want them to know that they don’t have to change themselves.

Q: What inspires your “Being able to write it confronted you directly about your poetry? and put all my emotions poetry? What does Ford: For my poem, “Colors,” on paper and for people this mean to you? Ford: I’ve been my inspiration to love it and to embrace invited to a lot of was my experience in eighth my writing — it’s been events after “Colors” was in the news. grade at my transformational.” I’ve received emails, previous school -Sophomore Zahria Ford people have reached being one of out to me from my the only Black Instagram, telling me students in the classroom and what it that my poem means so much to them was like to kind of fend for myself be- and they feel good to be represented cause I wasn’t really like anybody else. through my writing and they appreciI didn’t fit in with the other groups ate my work. around me, so I had to figure out how to change myself so I could fit in. Q: How have you grown as a per-

Ford: I want the people who read Ford: I’ve changed a lot. Taking that “Colors” to know that it’s ok to be experience which bothered me a lot themselves, how changing yourself is and being able to write it and put all really exhausting, and if you don’t fit my emotions on paper and for people in then find the people who work with to love it and to embrace my writing you and who like you for you. — it’s been transformational, really. Now I write more often as a way to Q: What is the importance of this cope with my emotions; it helps me message reaching this audience? stay in control. Ford: To the people who haven’t been Listen to Ford read her poem for the Art & Lit Mag at isolated necessarily because of race, https://blogs.lcps.org/underthemask. ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT |12 theblazerrhs.com|13