Last Thursday, the Theater Club performed an original play written by Risa Garza (WSG grant writer) called, “Shine: a Story about Believing in Yourself.” The girls started rehearsing the play with directors Risa Garza and Leah Nelson on September 27, 2016. The story follows a 16-year-old aspiring writer named Ariel. While “Shine” is set in the present, black history as well as women’s history play a huge role in the story. Most of the songs featured in “Shine” are by black female artists, and many famous black women of the arts and sciences are mentioned to further demonstrate how historical achievements shape the present and future.

The ideas of friendship and community also play an important role in “Shine.” It is the support of her community that allows Ariel to persevere and ultimately achieve her goals. Throughout the play, Ariel seeks support from her friends, family, and a mentor who help her regain her confidence and find her voice as a writer.

Ariel and her friends all have different talents and personalities, but they share a desire to create something new and to express themselves as individuals. Their drive to innovate in their chosen fields is fueled by their appreciation and admiration for the innovators who have come before them. The characters recognize that whatever they accomplish, they do it standing on the shoulders of men and women who already blazed the trail.

Through singing, dancing, and acting, the girls learned about the importance of friendship, community, black history, women’s history, creativity, individualism, and hard work. Ariel’s struggle to find her voice as a writer and believe in herself enough to keep writing is what drives the plot forward. She realizes that she needs to work harder to reach her full potential as a writer by learning about the talented and impressive women that came before her.

We are so proud of all the hard work that the girls put into making it a wonderful and exciting show!