Local talent

What is it about Sonoma? It seems that in whichever direction we turn, we see young people working hard and achieving.
From fifth-grader Gage Osbourne winning the county spelling bee to high school senior Michael Lee having his work accepted into the professional segment of this week’s Sonoma International Film Festival, we see achievement on an impressive scale. Our community’s youngsters are setting high expectations for themselves – and reaching them.
Three excellent theatrical productions have recently completed their runs, having showcased the results of hard work and dedication. The drama department at Sonoma Valley High School presented “Fiddler on the Roof.” The ambitious production, directed by drama teacher Jane Martin, featured Christian Weiss in the lead role of Tevye. More than 30 other students had acting roles, others students played in the orchestra, and others handled the myriad jobs involved in such a production. Particularly fun was the group cast simply as “Russians” – it was the high school baseball team!
ETC! (Experiential Theatre Company) is readying an encore presentation of its recent show “The Circle of Life,” comprising selections from “The Lion King,” wonderfully costumed and staged for six performances a month ago, as the youngsters will be performing their show again on Sunday for guests at Safari West in Santa Rosa.
And finally, Broadway Bound Kids just concluded another of its polished shows. “Annie,” under the direction of Jeannie Borcheldt and Paulino Duran, was actually triple-cast in the lead role, with Raegen Hedley, Madeline Libbey and trouper Grace Cutting sharing the limelight.
At press time, we are eagerly anticipating the showing of student films, scheduled for Thursday afternoon at the Sebastiani Theatre. We as parents and adults in the community don’t always hear the voices of the young people, focused as we can be on scores, curfews and organized activities. Film is a highly expressive medium, so when students have the freedom to express themselves in any way they want, it can be a valuable opportunity to grasp what they’re really saying.
Not that some of the films aren’t simply teen silliness, but most, like Lee’s film about drinking and driving, carry a strong message. What’s especially enjoyable to see is the subtlety and nuance that begin to appear in student work, as the young generation of filmmakers, under the guidance of video and broadcast teacher Peter Hansen, become better at their craft and more confident in their message.
Readers know the importance we put on education, and we’re following President Obama’s venture into education reform with great interest. He has stressed on several occasions the importance of rigor, both in student work and in teaching. The federal government is not likely to get less involved in education, and Obama’s education secretary Arne Duncan has the budget now to change that involvement in dramatic ways.
Our own school board spent more than four hours meeting in retreat last weekend, where the five members had the opportunity to speak together about policy and performance in our schools. The Sun attended the open meeting, and we noted that the trustees spoke in a similar vein. They talked about “quality” programs, about “data-driven” decisions, and about “high expectations.” Rigor.
Amidst the financial storm swirling around our national and home economies, we’re grateful for people like Obama, Duncan, and our local trustees. Effective change comes from driven individuals not willing to accept failure – just like, in our view, Sonoma’s student artists and performers.