Performing a Musical in a Pandemic: Getting Unstuck

It’s been several weeks now but the final notes of “Spark Reprise,” the final number in Spark From The Ashes, are still reverberating in my head. There are simply no words for what those young people accomplished. Their performances were inspiring, powerful, meaningful…almost miraculous. But the miracle didn’t occur in July when we performed our show. It happened in February.

We really had no idea if more than 5-6 teens would show up to the first rehearsal. Things were only beginning to open up after almost an entire year. Teens had grown accustomed to just staying home. Writers were writing about “pandemic fatigue” and a sense of “languishing”. Would teens jump at the chance to do something meaningful or had they gotten too used to the comfort of their couch? Would parents even let their kids leave the house and trust us our COVID protocols to keep them safe? We simply had no idea.

My friends in the music education community were commenting about how unmotivated teens were at that time. They just didn’t seem to want to do anything. In my mind, I thought we’d need at least 18 to pull off “Spark from the Ashes”. We knew we could probably get some college kids to fill in (thanks, Rachael, Kaitlyn, and Ashley), but we still needed a strong core. By the second rehearsal, we had our miracle…18 enthusiastic teenagers!

The challenges were many. Teaching singing when everyone is masked? Not easy. Learning the entire show in five months? Not easy. Blocking the show in a socially distanced way? Again—not easy. I’m not sure if people understand that we did not unmask until performance week. Jairus and Maria did not embrace until performance week. Lydia did not hug her healed friend until performance week. Jesus did not take the dead girl by the hand until performance week. But time and again, these young people amazed us with their ability to learn quickly, adapt, and find the true spirit of “Spark from the Ashes”.

Speaking of “Spark”, how perfect (dare I say “providential”?) was that message of hope for a society beaten down by a year of a pandemic? How beautifully did it resonate with the desires of our hearts to forge a better future? How motivating was it to display what getting “unstuck” could do?

Jairus could have stayed in his house and succumbed to the pressure to not reach out to Jesus. Elizabeth, our sick woman, could have just stayed out at the edge of town feeling sorry for herself. But both of these characters overcame their fear and their “stuck-ness”. Both of them “got off the couch” and took control of their destiny. It is said that “God helps those who help themselves” and I suppose there is truth in that.

I still see the signs of “stuck-ness”. Church attendance is down. School music participation is down. Charities report that volunteerism is down. They say that “taking the trash out isn’t hard—it’s getting off the couch to take the trash out that’s hard.” Are you feeling stuck these days? Is finding motivation difficult? Perhaps it’s helpful to remember that all the meaningful things we’ve done in our lives started with taking a chance. It started with finding routines and rituals that brought us positive habits, consistency, and success. It started with committing ourselves to something bigger than ourselves.

Life is a gift from God, but it’s dependent on what we make of it. Let the inspiration of the 2021 cast of “Spark from the Ashes” propel us all to seek greater things for our lives. May the God of Life fill you with hope, motivation, and a vision for your true potential in Christ.

Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you. -Philippians 4:8-9

-Mark Fox