By Izzy Whitaker

On March 23, Virginia Governor Ralph Northam released a statement closing all schools for the remainder of the school year. For many students, this news was initially exciting, as it meant a shorter school day, better lunches, less homework, and more free time. 

However, the Collegiate senior group chat was immediately flooded with long, heartfelt messages about how much we’ll miss each other, and selfies of ourselves crying. The news was especially shocking when it sunk in that athletes will never play their last game, actors will never get one last chance to perform on the stage, dancers will never get a final spring dance concert, musicians will no longer be able to put on their spring concerts, and so much more. This news, along with the fact that seniors will most likely not have a normal commencement ceremony, never get to bring their dogs to school, never get to say goodbye to some people, and never give a Senior Speech in Oates Theater, was incredibly jarring when the statement was first released.

Performing artists are taking the news especially hard. Much of their work throughout the school year has been leading up to a final performance or showcase, which, of course, were all canceled.

The 2020 spring play was going to be Collegiate’s rendition of Peter and the Starcatcher. Music Theater International describes the play: “a young orphan and his mates are shipped off. . . to a distant island ruled by the evil King Zarboff. They know nothing of the mysterious trunk in the captain’s cabin, which contains a precious, otherworldly cargo. At sea, the boys are discovered by a precocious young girl named Molly, a Starcatcher-in-training who realizes that the trunk’s precious cargo is starstuff . . . the journey quickly becomes a thrilling adventure.” Senior actors Emma Williams (‘20), John Phillip Mintz (‘20), and Katie Lansing (‘20) were filled with remorse when they first heard the news that their final show would have to get canceled.

Williams was originally supposed to play Molly Aster, the lead role. After portraying Matron “Mama” Horton in the fall production of Chicago, as well as writing and directing two out of the four Winter Plays, Williams was anticipating an exciting spring performance. She said, “This was supposed to be my last performance on the Oates stage, and I was really looking forward to sharing this story with an audience, too. It’s been heartbreaking to watch something that my castmates and I have put so much time and effort into, [just to] get pulled out from under us in the way that it did.”  

Peter and the Starcatcher was also going to be Upper School theater teacher Steve Perigard’s last show at Collegiate, as he has announced that he will not be returning next year, so he shares the same sentiment with many of the senior actors. 

The dancers are equally as disappointed as the actors. Seniors Anaya Wright (‘20), Sarah Carrington (‘20), V Brooks (‘20), Lilly Hall (‘20), Genevieve Fernandez (‘20), and Katie Dunn (‘20) have been anticipating their Senior Dance Showcase since most of them began their Collegiate dance career in 3rd Grade. Seniors are often presented at the end of the Dance Concert, and one of them is awarded the Collegiate Dance Award for their teamwork, skill, and passion on and off the stage. 

Wright has been an avid dancer her whole life. She said, “When I found out that school was canceled, my first thought was ‘How are we gonna’ do the Dance Concert?’ Then I found out that we weren’t, and I was devastated. I’ve been dancing in the Collegiate Dance Program since 3rd Grade, back when we used to take classes with [Lower and Middle School dance teacher] Mrs. [Stacy] Dudley in the Lower School cafeteria. I had been waiting 12 years for my Senior Dance Concert, especially since I wasn’t able to perform in my Honors performance (due to an injury). I was really looking forward to this last moment dancing along with my senior peers. I’m grateful that I’m still able to dance with them over the computer every other day, but it’s just not the same.”

Many musicians have also been stripped of an opportunity to play on the stage a final time. Senior cellist Thomas Lucy (‘20) said that he is quite upset about not being able to play for an audience again before graduating. Lucy commented, “I always watched the seniors get recognized at the final concert, and it said how many years they were a part of it, and since I was there since the beginning, I wanted that one day.”

For any artist, all of their hard work and dedication leads up to a final showcase. Whether that be a fashion show or an art exhibition, it is a pivotal moment in an artist’s career. Seniors in the arts were recognized during our final Upper School virtual assemblies, and there was a virtual Art Walk on Collegiate’s website and social media. But that experience is not the same as in-person performances. For the actors, dancers, and musicians in the class of 2020, the COVID-19 virus took a priceless and irreplaceable moment in their lives, which they will be mourning for a long time to come.

Featured image credit: Collegiate School.