Ms. Wheeler Reflects on her Godspell Assistant-Directing Debut

By Ms. Wheeler

This past April, I had the privilege of assistant-directing Lourdes Theatre Company’s (LTC) production of Godspell. Godspell, written by Stephen Schwartz, is primarily a staged telling of the Gospel of Matthew. One thing that makes Godspell so incredible, aside from the amazing cast and crew I got to work with, is that every showing is unique. Every night has its own energy, every castmate brings something new to the stage, and even if you were to see Godspell at a different theatre, the show would be unique. Ms. Boylan, Ms. Libertino, Mr. Rose, Mrs. D’Aleo, Mrs. LaPlant, and the cast and crew helped make OLL’s version of Godspell one of a kind. 

I haven’t had too much experience from the directing side of theatre, since I’m more of a performer. Assistant Directors (ADs) act as the director’s main support alongside the Stage Managers and crew in making their vision come to life. Ms. Boylan, Mrs. D’Aleo, and all of our other show coordinators have been nothing but kind, supportive, and open-minded, and made my transition from performer to assistant director seamless; it was awesome to be a part of such a great directorial team. Each rehearsal day began with either music practice with Ms. Libertino or review days led by myself. For the remainder of the time, Ms. Boylan would work on new material with the cast. Everyone really gave this show their all, and it was truly amazing to see it all come together on stage.

As with any show, there are always challenges. For our show, I think the biggest challenge was the pacing of the show, and remembering all the lines. Like I said before, every production of Godspell is unique in its own way. However, sometimes directors like to uphold traditions of Godspell from the script, from previous experiences, or in productions they’ve seen in the past. One such tradition is that the cast stays on stage the entire time, stopping halfway through for an intermission where they share bread and wine (in our case, juice) with the audience. We followed this tradition, which meant that the cast and pit performed for about 90 minutes straight at high energy. Because of the pacing, Ms. Boylan and I, along with our other coordinators and crew, reminded the cast and pit to hydrate and take it easy throughout the rehearsal process and the show’s run. 

I’m lucky to have been a part of the LTC team in my first year here. It’s felt very fulfilling to have this transition from a student in the LTC to assistant director. Thanks again to the cast, crew, pit, and directorial/coordinator team from Godspell, I can’t wait for all of the future shows with the Theatre Company at OLL! 

Warriors in Japan!

By Simon Benca and Karolina Mroczek, Grade 11

On Friday, April 11, while the rest of the Lourdes community was preparing for another school day, a group of about 20 students chaperoned by Mrs. Ross, Mr. Crittenden, and Mr. Tanner woke up early and made their way to school. They were not planning on starting class early; they were grouping up to take a bus to the airport. Their destination was Tokyo, Japan.

Some highlights from the trip included a walk on the grounds of the Imperial Palace, a sumo wrestling workshop, and a visit to the Tokyo Skytree Tower, the tallest building in Japan. During the sumo wrestling workshop, three students accepted the challenge of wrestling the sumo wrestlers. Later in the trip, the travelers enjoyed admiring gardens full of cherry blossom trees, trying new foods, and shopping for unique souvenirs. Students broke off into groups: one of which visited several Pokémon centers throughout the country, others toured various animal cafes, while some searched for anime and pop culture merchandise. 

The itinerary for each day was packed with exciting activities, which accounted for ancient and modern tourist attractions. They enjoyed the modern activities of karaoke, virtually limitless shopping in Harajuku, and walks through Shibuya Crossing as well. One night, the students went to the Aeon Mall in Kyoto, where people went to Uniqlo, one of the few Toys R Us stores, the Bandai Namco Arcade, and other stores. Students took numerous pictures of Mt. Fuji, explored peaceful temples and shrines, and bowed to the famous deer in Nara, Japan’s old capital. In addition, the group spent time in Atami, and some members woke up early to see the rising sun over the beach. The group also was able to immerse themselves in Japanese culture by attending a Yuzen dyeing workshop and a sushi making class, all while practicing their Japanese.

Although the group is unable to agree on a favorite activity, they can easily concur that there was not a single dull moment on the trip. Every traveler agrees that the week-long vacation was not long enough, and that Japan is worth visiting again someday.

OLL: Dutchess County Mock Trial Champions!

By Simon Benca and Karolina Mroczek, Grade 11

After a late start to this year’s season, the Our Lady of Lourdes Mock Trial Team remained stronger than ever. Although the season began over a month later than usual, the shift did not deter Captains Rowan Gilmartin, Luke Leonard, Kaitlyn Drunkenmiller, Sarah Lindner from supporting the underclassmen and preparing the team for trial. The captains’ unwavering efforts in their Mock Trial endeavors did not go unnoticed, as the OLL team earned a perfect score in the first trial against Beacon High School. While the team was unable to compete during the Easter Break, the brief pause in competition allowed for additional time to prepare for their final trial against Beacon. This year, the three teams in Dutchess County all faced hardships as the season started late and some teams had difficulty retaining members for competition. Finals took place on May 12 in the Marist University mock courtroom, and the Warriors proved victorious. At the culmination of the trial, Captain Sarah Lindner was given the honor of the Outstanding Attorney Award, which recognizes a student that demonstrates significant expertise in the attorney role. The Mock Trial team would like to thank the four team captains, Mrs. DeMeo (the team supervisor), and the team mascot, Mallard Filmore (a drawing of a duck that a past member of the Mock Trial team drew). All in all, the 2025 season was successful, and the Mock Trial Team hopes to defend its title of County Champion.