by Sabina Jafri ‘20

Olney Theatre Center’s (delightful) holiday production, “Singin’ in the Rain,” runs until January 5. But with the crowds it’s pulling in, it’ll probably be extended: this glorious cast will dance their way into mid-January, giving students even more time to take advantage of a golden opportunity.

Though it hasn’t been advertised much in recent years, this local theatre offers $20 tickets to any student who presents a valid student ID at the box office on the day of the performance. Beyond being a hefty discount, with Olney’s prime seats usually priced at around $80, this deal offers teenagers with invaluable rewards that can only be reaped from live theatre. 

“Singin’ in the Rain” is a snappy, hilarious, vivid musical filled with exquisite dance numbers, lively characters, and the talent of a full orchestra and wonderful singers. “It really strikes that perfect balance between something new and a tribute to that classic, regal feeling of the original film,” said senior Nick Rossi, after seeing the performance on a field trip with the rest of the Sherwood theatre group. 

“I think being able to see really well done professional theatre is a huge deal,” Rossi continued. “There is Broadway-quality theatre in our own backyard; a lot of it with really important messages. Students need to see this.” 

He’s right: beyond this festive, holiday show, Olney Theatre produces a multitude of other meaningful work. The theatre samples many global cultures and infuse stories about historical conflicts with timeless messages that young audiences all over should witness. Most recently, “The Royale,” a play performed in Olney’s Mulitz-Gudelsky Theatre, told a harrowing but necessary story set in 1905, deep in the midst of the Jim Crow south. It explores the struggles of an African-American boxer on his way to becoming heavyweight champion, but delves deep into the social implications of his victory, as well as what protecting kin really means. In the fall, Olney Theatre’s “Cabaret” also spoke over social discrimination, but in the context of WWII. This musical, though beautiful, laid truths on its audience that left them deep in thought. 

Both shows, like much of Olney’s seasons, contain messages about the wider world: a world that, as high schoolers who live in a nice town and attend a well-resourced school, may not regularly consider. Theatre has the power to bring new light to fresh minds. With an outstanding regional theatre campus so close, and tickets so readily available to students, it seems a crime not to seize this change to broaden our minds, deepen our hearts, and join our community for a fun time.