Yeshiva Girls HS musical a parable of society and technology
While rehearsals for an original full-length musical, written by, for and about women, have been keeping them busy, the 50 girls enrolled in Yeshiva Girls High School are learning an important lesson as well.
They are learning the value and joy of working together for a common goal, the satisfaction of being “Clearly Connected.”
“Clearly Connected,” written by parent volunteer Lieba Rudolph, addresses some of the challenges and choices that technology has created for modern society through the story of a young girl sent from heaven to earth to fix matters gone awry at a summer camp.
“It’s a parable for the fact that we are all clearly connected, as the title suggests,” said Rudolph. “We are all connected to each other, to the oneness of creation, to something bigger than ourselves.
“We are also connected technologically by devices, but in some ways, those devices make us less connected to each other. We don’t always recognize or see that we’re all connected. It’s not always apparent, and it’s not always easy.”
Yeshiva Girls High School puts on a production biyearly, and it is an event greatly anticipated by the student body.
“This is a big part of our school,” said senior Shaina Herman, who, along with classmates Mushkie Rosenblum and Bluma Hyman serves as head of production. “We look forward to it all year. We have countdowns.”
Whereas those in 11th and 12th grade take on leadership roles and chair the various committees involved in making it all happen, those in grades eight through 10 get to show off their skills as well by singing, acting, dancing or working behind the scenes.
“The girls all get to shine with their individual talents,” Herman said. “The process of working together is really good.”
Rudolph, along with the play’s director, parent Amy Guterson, have collaborated to convert the musical into a screenplay, and hope to eventually see their work on the silver screen.
“Our hope is to make it a satisfying kosher experience,” Rudolph said.
Although putting together a full-length musical is a lot of work, Rudolph calls it a “labor of love.”
“Any opportunity I have to not only entertain, but perhaps to inspire and intrigue the girls and an audience to come closer to the bigger questions and the bigger answers is time well-spent for me,” she said. “It’s well worth my time.”
“Clearly Connected” will be performed March 9 and 10 at Yeshiva School, 6401 Forbes Ave at 7 p.m.
(Toby Tabachnick can be reached at tobyt@thejewishchronicle.net.)
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