Winding up year with gusto

It’s June, and we are nearing the end of the school year.  Having finished with the mandatory state testing, students hang in there for the last couple of weeks, tying up the loose ends or scrambling to make up overdue work.

Teachers try to hold it together for the last few weeks, keenly aware that as the mercury rises, so does student interest in what occurs outside the classroom. Students are concentrating on the final activities, promotions, banquets, parties, graduations, proms and field trips.  Parents struggle and juggle all the activities which are crammed into these last few weeks. 

I remember that at this time last year, I was sure that I was not going to make it to the end of the school year without having a breakdown. That wave of uncertainty is bound to hit again this week, but this time I am prepared for it. There is a certain serenity that comes over you when you realize that you can’t fit everything in.  I am feeling pretty serene right now.

Every week, I hear music in my ears as the Brownell School bands hold a series of “final” events. I affectionately call this their spring season which starts with the final rehearsal for the Disneyland trip and ends with the Brownell promotion ceremony.

In addition to the weekly band and choir performances which occur between May and June, theater reaches its apex in Gilroy unified School District at the end of the school year. Last Friday night was the final performance of “Antigone” at Gilroy High School. This is the third theatrical production at Gilroy High this year, an impressive start for theater teacher Ethan Stocks. Antigone is a somber story, with a sparse set. The cast was impressive, especially Isabelle Szucs who shone as Antigone. There certainly was no singing or dancing in Thebes.  

In what I can only describe as a total 360-degree turn, the middle school play took over on Saturday to prepare the stage for their performances this weekend. There is plenty of singing and dancing in “Flapper.” I am sure there is a story line, but I haven’t seen the whole show through yet.

The kids look so wonderful, it almost doesn’t matter. The participants from all three middle schools endured a great deal of turmoil this year. The show went through a director change, a hiatus and some re-casting. Those kids who stuck with the play since January deserve a medal. The parents who made the costumes, chauffeured, choreographed, chaperoned and raised money deserve a round of applause. 

I thank the Gilroy community who sponsored and supported the program. I thank Pepe Espinoza, who encouraged so many children to audition for the show. Mr. Pepe inspired many of these children to believe in themselves. I admire the boundless energy of Zoi Alvarez, the producer of the show. 

She is the energizer bunny of the theater program and has kept things moving along well over the past few months. I admire Dennis Beasley, who stepped in to take over the reins of a show that was in danger of disintegrating. He came into the job of director and made sure that the show would go on. The middle school play is, in the end, an enormous group effort.

The culmination of all this hard work will be obvious to all who attend the play. The performances of “Flapper” will be held on Friday night, Saturday afternoon and Saturday night at the Gilroy High School Theater. Evening performances start at 8pm and the matinee is at 2pm. If last year’s initial play is any indication, there will be a full house, so arrive early. Seeing “Flapper” is sure to be a great way to wrap up the school year.

Denise Baer Apuzzo has lived in Gilroy for 5 years. She is married and is a parent of three children who attend Gilroy public schools. You can reach her at lu*****@****ic.net.