ABOUT THE SHOW
Join the Exeter-West Greenwich Sr. High Drama Club as they present Sonder: A Cabaret Story. Written and directed by EWG Senior Michelina Smith, Sonder challenges our tendency to judge a book by its cover. We often see the jock in high school as not having any brains, or the nerd as being a perfect goody-two-shoes. We label the mean girl as a bully and the awkward kid as a weirdo. We make automatic (and unconscious) judgments about the people around us, and we need to break this habit. This poignant and relevant piece deals with the good and the bad of navigating high school and is certainly relatable to everyone who is a teenager or has ever been one.
Sonder includes twelve songs, all containing high school themes, from twelve different musicals. However unlike a traditional cabaret, it is a story; it has numerous characters, a plot, and multiple conflicts. In essence, it is a musical without the traditional dancing and original music component. The word ‘sonder’ means, “the realization that each passerby is living a life as vivid and complex as your own.” In other words, every person that you see, meet, or interact with has his or her own story. Even though you might think you know every fact about a person, it doesn’t mean you know who they are. Until you get to know him or her, you’ve only scratched the surface of who that person truly is. This original piece of work is sure to spark ideas about how acceptance and tolerance can benefit our lives and the world in the 21st century.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Michelina Smith is no stranger to the theatre community, especially EWG Drama. She has been a part of the program since 7th grade and has starred in over ten EWG Drama productions, most recently being "Katherine" in Freaky Friday. In addition to being an actress, Michelina has also served as EWG Drama's choreographer for the past 3 years. Sonder: A Cabaret Story is the first production she has ever written and directed. Although it will be hard for her to step down from the stage, she is beyond excited to gain experience behind the scenes and debut her original work!
Tickets will be available at the door.
Check out the news coverage on our production!
WJAR-10 Interview Segment
WPRI-12 Interview Segment