When a door closes...
I’ll cut to the chase. We have made the difficult decision that—after 45 years—Sonshine will not be offering a youth cast next year. The reasons are many and I’ll delve into that below. The main thing we are trying to do, however, is this:
1) Celebrate 45 amazing years!
2) See if we can re-envision Sonshine as a performing group in the future (the window that might yet be opened).
Our full efforts will be focused on doing those two things and not mourning what no longer will be. I truly can say that I’m writing this with a heart full of gratitude. I can’t wait for our performances of “Spark From the Ashes” by our current wonderful cast in June!
Sonshine has struggled with numbers since the pandemic. We have averaged only about 14 cast members and have needed young adults to help round out the cast. Even though the experiences and the performances have been outstanding, the stress of never quite having enough bodies on stage has taken a toll on me and the staff. No one wants to hold something together with duct tape and bailing wire. It’s simply time to do something new.
The world has changed. No longer does our host church have a 30+ member youth group to feed into Sonshine. In fact, our present cast has only 3 Bethel members. No longer are Sundays free of school and sports conflicts. This has affected attendance a great deal. No longer do most teens go to a church youth group. No longer do most churches have youth choirs or youth drama groups that perform and travel. No longer do teens have a frame of reference to even understand what Sonshine is all about when friends invite them.
My only sadness is this: Not only does Sonshine still seem to be meaningful for the teens still participating, but I believe groups like this are needed more than ever. In a largely virtual world, Sonshine is still very real. For 90 minutes, teens put their phones away and interact with other people. Instead of watching people do artistic things on a screen, they actually enter a stage where real artistic things happen. And at a time when teens are receiving less and less spiritual formation, Sonshine still creates a safe place for young people to explore their spirituality in a loving and supportive setting. It’s the kids who tell us: In a world that has onlybecome more difficult for teenagers to navigate, Sonshine is the antidote.
I can’t say enough about our current staff. You may not know that I don’t do a whole lot at rehearsals anymore—just a greeting at the beginning and a devotional at the end. Over the past few years, a new generation has taken the reins and has really brought Sonshine to its highest artistic level ever. They love on these kids and support them in their struggles. Their work has simply been amazing.
We will celebrate our final youth cast performance on Saturday, June 14, at 7:00 PM. We have some special things planned, including a video presentation of Sonshine’s 45 year legacy. We’ll also display old photos, posters, and artifacts in the lobby. I hope you can be there to celebrate with us. In the meantime, we’ll be exploring ways to keep Sonshine alive. Perhaps it will be multi-generational casts that meet for intensive rehearsals for just a few weeks. If you have ideas, we’d love to hear from you!
Matthew 5:4 says, “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” I like The Message paraphrase of this verse, which says, “You’re blessed when you feel you’ve lost what is most dear to you. Only then can you be embraced by the One most dear to you.” God is good. For 45 years, we’ve been incredibly blessed.
Mark Fox