If you didn”t happen to catch Clear Lake High School”s production of Footloose, you missed what”s right with America.
I was fortunate to be in the audience Sunday for the final performance of this very ambitious undertaking and can”t think of a time when I was more entertained or moved by a theatrical performance, which is saying a lot since I”ve been to Broadway in New York, Las Vegas and some very high ticket venues in the San Francisco Bay Area so I”ve been lucky enough to enjoy some wonderful events in my life.
What is particularly noteworthy is that all of the performers here were students and everyone involved in creating and staging this magnificent production were volunteers. That said, from the moment the curtain rose on this exhilarating play, every head in the audience was leaning forward and a feeling of sheer delight overcame the auditorium, which in short order, was a sea of smiles and anticipation.
One can”t help but consider the hundreds of hours of work and rehearsal that went in to this production and the dedication and commitment that was necessary in order to pull off such a seamless and seemingly effortless and professional production that had the audience riveted and rooting for the players with every scene, song and dance.
We should pay tribute to the students and their parents, the teachers, sponsors and volunteers who gave generously and tirelessly in the months leading up to and preparing for this production and we owe them our gratitude for what they created here.
In these times where it all too often seems that nearly everything we see, hear or read in the news is bad or negative, seeing this beautifully performed play was a much needed and truly uplifting experience. It was a reminder of all that is good and right with America and at time when we need it most.
I wrote this letter because aside from saying thank you, I wanted to express my wish that when whatever powers that be look for places in the budget to cut in these challenging economic times, they do not cut our schools, our teachers, our programs that bring so much to the communities they serve and that we place a well-deserved value on the arts, music, literature and all the rest that enrich young minds and souls with the vision and understanding and appreciation we need to create a brighter and better world for all of us.
When families are humbled and brought to their knees by unavoidable joblessness, homelessness and hopelessness, it is not the time to cut the very things that bring us hope and inspiration and it is not the time to turn our back on America”s youth.
It has been said maybe a hundred million times before me but our children are our future and they deserve everything we can give them because if for no other reason, they did not ask to be brought in to this world and we should in every way we can, consider the gift their life brings us and the legacy we leave them.
With a heart full of gratitude,
Howard Glasser
Kelseyville
