High school musical theater In Our Hands Now!
an original high school musical by
E. Sandy Powell  &  Mick Terry

COMMENTS:   ANN BULSKOV
(Complete)

"Performing in a musical as amazing as  In Our Hands Now!  was the kind of opportunity that rarely comes to students today. By being a part of the cast I not only had the chance to learn about my peers, I also learned a great deal about myself.

I gained a new understanding of what people go through in their daily lives, and how it is nearly impossible to imagine what someone is dealing with unless you know the whole story. Just by looking at Dezha you would never know that her desire to be a star was painfully tearing her life apart, or that she was not as selfish as she sometimes acted.

I also learned that the little setbacks we thought were big problems were actually just big opportunities in disguise.

In an 'eye-opening' moment I realized that every word and every character had meaning and could offer knowledge to the cast and audience.

Youth today need to have a voice, and this musical can speak for us without giving the illusion that we need to be babied. There have been quite a few times during classes at school when the lyrics to the song Lighten Up would have accurately said what I was feeling.

The process of practicing and delivering the performances of this musical is one of my fondest memories, and it's one that I hope to hold on to forever. I made new friends, and grew closer to the ones I already knew.

Given opportunities to be exposed to new perspectives, people have the ability to grow. When Ms. Powell shared the script with us, she offered us the opportunity of a lifetime because it's not very often that a person gets the chance to speak or act something that could potentially change the world's view on differences and the responsibilities that come with being alive today. The many intricate ideas and values hidden behind and throughout  In Our Hands Now!  hold much value for youth and adults today, and most likely tomorrow too.

A line from my song in the production is 'Swing to your soul's calling.' To me, this means whatever your soul is desiring, work with it. Don't ignore our deepest desires just because they're not 'popular'. Swing, be flexible, to what you truly want.

"It's in our hands. The whole world. Before long we've got to step up to the plate. And what a world our parents are passing on to us! We can put it off like a lot of them have. We can shine it on. But two steps out that door is the whole world. And it's ours. What good am I if I can't make things better?"

Wow... Zach is right. And what good am I if I don't share with others the values that  In Our Hands Now!  has taught me?

I cannot thank Sandy Powell enough for the maturity and growth that her musical has promoted for me."

Additional comments to Sparky one year after Gold Beach premier:
"Keep in mind how happy you made all of us when you gave us the opportunity to perform it! It was amazing, and I will always cherish those memories for the rest of my life. ... You have brought so much happiness and motivation to so many, many people."

        - Ann Bulskov - high school senior who played
                Ms. McMackin in the premiere - Gold Beach, OR

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