Tabor Academy invites the public to their performance of their winter musical, Heathers: The Musical (HSE) on February 14-16at 7:30 pm.
Heathers: The Musical, a satire dealing with the challenges of teen life, became an Off-Broadway hit in 2014. Because the subject matter was so relevant to high schools, the creators of the show, Kevin Murphy and Laurence O’Keefe, worked closely with Pearce High School in Richardson, TX, from 2015 through 2016 to develop a “toned-down” high school edition (HSE) of the show. Tabor’s director, Mark Howland, said, “Tabor students must have been on top of that story for a number of them were calling for us to stage Heathers two years ago. Indeed, the clarion call has gone out as more than fifteen high schools from CA, OR, AZ, TX, WI, IA, TN, GA, VA, and MA are staging Heathers: The Musical this year.”
Howland shared, “While Heathers: The Musical (HSE) delves into such hot-button topics as body shaming, sexual harassment, and suicide, it does so with humor and sensitivity. The creators have claimed in fact that they feel the show is about female empowerment. Rather than avoid these taboo topics, Heathers: The Musical (HSE) tackles them head on but through the lens of satire, showing us that high schoolers need to be kinder to each other, and adults who work with them need to be more clued in. At Tabor, the offices of Community Life, Equity and Inclusion, and Counseling Services have been involved in training and educating the cast and crew from the get-go. Our goal is that the show be a catalyst for the school community to further awareness and empathy.”
The show runs February 14, 15, 16 at 7:30 pm in Tabor’s Fireman Center for the Performing Arts in Hoyt Hall at 245 Front Street, Marion. It is free and open to the public, no tickets or reservations required. Kerry Saltonstall, Director of Communications, shared, “We hope you will join us for Heathers as we utilize Tabor theater to expand awareness and hopefully to effect change in our communities.”
