TOWAMENCIN- With demos from AP Studio art students to your left, coffee shop performances to your right, and a stacked lineup of musical and theatrical presentations within the auditorium, The Knight of Arts on February 23 was a great exhibition of the diversity of North Penn’s art programs. After all was said and done, the Thespian Troupe raised over $2000 for the Broadway Cares/Equity Fights Aids charity.
Seniors Shweta Akolkar and Abagael Bergey are the BC/EFA coordinators for the Thespian Troupe and responsible for all that went into the planning and carrying out of the Knight of Arts.
“We wanted the night to be a little different from the BC/EFA Galas that had been held each year,” explained Akolkar. “While the Gala featured songs, monologues, and dances from broadway shows, this year’s show expanded its scope to incorporate various art forms that are supported at North Penn. Planning it was much more involved than I realized because of all the different things that were going on at once during the night, but seeing how effective the night was made it all worth it.”
The NPHS Ambassadors, a vocal jazz group, kicked off the auditorium segments. Pennfield, Penndale, and Pennbrook Middle Schools previewed their shows Seussical, Camp Rock, and If the Slipper Fits, respectively.
The gala also featured performances from North Penn High school teachers. Vocal teacher Mr. Matthew Klenk dedicated a Billy Joel selection to his wife, and Drama teacher and Thespian Troupe adviser Mrs. Andrea Roney, sang “Can’t Help Lovin’ Dat Man” from the Broadway show Showboat.
“I loved the whole thing” raved Roney of the night as a whole. “The energy of all the students, the connection between adults, teachers, and students, and the artists from around the building sharing their creativity. But if I had to pick something [to call my favorite] I’d say the way Mr. Chris Doerr set up the small stage for us in the glass concourse and the planned and impromptu performances that happened before and after the show as well as during admissions. The performers really warmed up the crowd, but even better, the students really showed their personalities to the audience–their wonderful charm and spirits that I get to share every day.”
Prior intermission where the audience had the opportunity to participate in the silent auction and purchase raffle tickets, senior cabinet members Ali Corr and Christina Baer lead a group of teachers in a surprise hip-hop style performance. Mr. David Kim, Mrs. Susan Cassel, Mrs. Linda Westerlund, Mr. and Mr. David Hall danced to a selection from the Broadway show In the Heights.
Other performances included a recitation of Shakespeare’s Hamlet “rogue and peasant slave” monologue from junior Erica Hutchinson, break dancing from the Korean Club’s B-Boy Crew, and an acoustic performance of Green Day’s “When It’s Time” by senior Sarah Stinson and junior Tyler Ivey.
For the grand finale, audience members had the chance to sing-along to a performance of Rent’s “Seasons of Love.” All while raising over $2000 for the fight against HIV/Aids, The Knight Of Arts demonstrated the depth and versatility of North Penn’s prestigious art programs. The best way to summarize the night can be found in Akolkar’s explanation of the importance of education in the arts.
“Art education is extremely important because art is one of the key modes of self-expression. Art is in a language that all people, regardless of their backgrounds or any other differentiating factors, can understand. In my mind, art education is parallel with learning to write and communicate well.”
