This Sunday, in preparation for their performance on Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK) day, the Theatre & Dance 910 class performed their production of “Kintsugi: Beauty in the Broken.” Directed by EV Heck ’25 and co-taught by Linda Carter Griffith, Associate Head of School for Equity, Inclusion, and Wellness, and Allen Grimm, Instructor in Theatre & Dance, the performance included student monologues about personal experiences with aspects of their identity including race, class, gender, sexuality, body image, and more.
Heck performed in the Identity Show earlier in her Andover career, and this year she had the opportunity to direct it. To put together the performance, she first gave her performers prompts to help them open up about their own experiences and generate genuine, heartfelt stories. Drawing on these exercises, they then revised thoroughly before crafting the final product.
“We had set prompts that we gave the performers to write about on their own and when they came to class, they would share it [with] the class. And eventually, we went through a lot of editing sessions and did a lot of workshopping. But we really wanted it to be from the heart, so we did those open prompts and then I put together what I wanted in the show, and what pieces I thought were integral to telling these…stories,” said Heck.
Heck also used her experience in theater to support the cast, especially those who were newer to performing. She fostered an environment that encouraged them to be open and share their experiences, something that became a highlight of the directing process for her.
“My favorite part was teaching the group how to turn their own identity into theatre and to share their stories… A lot of the people who were participating weren’t really in theatre beforehand so it was nice to bring that expertise and kind of work with people and learn about their stories,” shared Heck.
One of the performers, Billie-Christine Colmar ’27, shared how the rehearsal community also played a large role in shaping her preparation process. The more relaxed, welcoming setting allowed the cast members to bond, work together efficiently, and have a more constructive experience overall.
“It was really fun. We would meet during second period and we had one assignment every week and it was just a writing assignment. They were really free; you could write whatever you want[ed]. I’d say my favorite part was getting to know everyone else that I was performing with. I’m not really much of a theatre kid but I really enjoyed putting together this production. I auditioned with my friend originally because she was a bit nervous and I ended up loving it,” said Colmar.
The performance and its writing process left a mark on performers and facilitators alike. Colmar commented on what she learned about herself, and others, through the main themes of the show.
“The major takeaway is to be easy on yourself. We’re all struggling with different things, we’re all going through life as best we can. It’s inevitable: there [are] setbacks for everyone in life… We just need to focus on love, focus on supporting each other, and be easy on yourself,” said Colmar.
Similarly, co-facilitator Mr. Grimm shared how his experience growing up differed from what he learned about the younger generation’s childhoods. Through this performance, he was able to gain insight into being raised during the digital age, and thus better understand his students.
“I have a lot of mixed feelings. You all have a really tough time growing up. It’s a different era with all the digital media and the 24-hour-a-day cycle that just does not stop that wasn’t there 35 or 40 years ago. So the veracity of that wears on the teenagers and I feel for them,” explains Mr. Grimm.
Heck and Grimm described what they considered some of the most impactful scenes of the performance. The opening, being a collaborative piece, incorporated multiple experiences centered around anxiety.
“[The intro] is one big anxiety piece with the entire group. It also talks about body image. I really enjoyed that piece just because we got together through those quick transitions, and I felt like the whole group came together in one piece, even though they had all written about anxiety and body image separately. It was really cool to see,” said Heck.
Grimm was similarly captivated by that scene in the show, “I don’t know if there’s one part [that resonated with me]. I will say that the ‘Black Girl’ piece is actually spectacular. All the pieces are really heartfelt and I appreciate Jorge’s willingness to dig in and really bear some truth.”
