Night of Scenes Animates our Jesuit Values

More than 150 students took to the stage last weekend for the sold-out performances of Cape and Sword’s 12th Annual “Night of Scenes.” For many of the students participating, it was the first time they had ever acted in public but they were ready.

“Night of Scenes” was the brainchild of Rev. George Bur, S.J., former Prep president. Fr. Bur believed that every student should have a chance to perform on the Prep stage. Students who are busy with athletics, activities and co-curriculars could now have an opportunity to work with their friends and classmates as NoS offers just a short rehearsal schedule and limited time commitment. Joined by veteran Prep actors and young ladies from area high schools, the scenes were directed by alumni, staff, and current students.

Longtime drama director and show producer Tony Braithwaite ’89 along with various students introduced the scenes and provided gratitude, appreciation and information. Mr. Braithwaite quoted “Our Way of Proceeding,” a Jesuit educational treatise that states, “a Jesuit school must provide mission-driven co-curricular activities that afford students the opportunity to develop their full potential to become enriched and well rounded individuals,” and that “the adults to whom those students are entrusted demonstrate cura personalis--care for each individual student.”  

“In the moments behind stage, during rehearsal and in between scenes the camaraderie and joy are mere glimpses into the very heart of the Prep,” Braithwaite said in his final remarks. “In a Jesuit school, academic instruction is just the tip of the iceberg, the ticket in the door to full learning for a teenage human being. It is evident in the classroom of course but also, and equally important, this learning is evident on retreats and service trips, on the athletic fields, on the river, and on the stage. What puts Jesuit education on the map is that it’s all not just about the classroom and not just about grades. Rather, it’s about the total formation of the talented young men and women with whom we are privileged to work. And while we always want Night of Scenes to be a good show, its true and noble mission as imagined by Fr. Bur, is the self-actualization of these 153 young people.” Bravo!

Auditions for Cape & Sword’s spring performance, “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee,” will be held on Wednesday, February 15 at the Prep. Mark your calendar now. It is sure to be sensational--s-e-n-s-a-t-i-o-n-a-l--sensational.