It won’t be Christmas in July, but Bellevue’s Sacred Heart School is planning some holiday cheer for after the season has passed.
The school will present “A Christmas Carol” on Jan. 10, making up for an earlier show that was cancelled due to inclement weather.
The program is intended to give students and faculty to see each other in a new light as they perform together for the first time in recent history.
“We get to show off our fun side,” said Sacred Heart teacher Brandon Schmid. “I tend to let loose a bit more on stage than I do in class.”
Faculty members at Sacred Heart are no strangers to the limelight. Many of them performed in a murder mystery two years ago.
The show proved to be a hit, attracting hundreds of patrons.
Laura Capestany helped organize the show as the director of Sacred Heart’s after-school drama program, Playmakers.
“There was so much excitement,” she said. “The kids wanted to see their teachers up there. It was an energetic dynamic that happened there.”
Capestany realized there was potential for a bonding experience between students and faculty, so she decided to incorporate eighth graders into the annual program.
“It empowers these students to know they can work among adults,” she said. “They get treated as grownups as they prepare to enter a new world in high school.”
All roles for the “Christmas Carol” show – whether performance-related or behind the scenes – were reserved for eight graders and adults from the Sacred Heart community.
Around 15 students and 21 adults will participate in the program.
“It makes something special of our eighth-grade year,” said Sacred Heart student Cara Lohman. “I consider it a privilege.”
Few of the students have acting experience, but none were turned down for roles.
“It’s a great way to introduce people to theater and help them gain self confidence in front of 500 people for the weekend,” Capestany said. “It’s not so much the end result, but the process of learning about each other.”
Many of the adults performing in the show have performing arts experience. Some have acted in college or high school, while others are involved in community theater or a capella groups.
There’s no love lost for those who’ve been away from the stage for awhile.
“I think it’s one of those things where it’s a lot of work, but once you get back you realize how much you’ve missed it,” said Sacred Heart parent Frank Fite, who plays Mr. Fessiwig.
Joshua Adam Hicks can be reached at jhicks@bellevuereporter.com or 425-453-4290.
