Dear Mr. and Mrs. Amari,
I’m including this letter with the permission slip for all students. Participation in our musical production of “New Frontier” is entirely optional. However, I would very much like to encourage Adam to join us in the production. Some parents have expressed doubts about the subject matter of the production. I want to reiterate the school’s policy, for the record.
“New Frontier” is a musical about the Haven Station, the successor to Skylab and our current base of operations for scientific missions in space. The musical is the story of the astronauts, cosmonauts, taikonauts, and spationauts who made Haven what it is today. Much of the plot recounts the friendly contacts we have had with alien species. It is also the first musical, to our knowledge, to include actual extraterrestrial compositions, which will be reproduced electronically and accompanied by student singers. “New Frontier” does not concern itself with politics, and as a public school we do not take any political position on topics such as immigration. We also understand that some parents are uncomfortable with the topic of extraterrestrials and we respect their preferences.
Creators David Bryan and Joe DiPietro emphasize that while the Haven of “New Frontier” is populated primarily by Americans, America’s story is the story of immigrants, whether they arrived here 4, 400, or 40,000 years ago. Likewise, the story of Haven is one of people who have left their home world to live in a new, sometimes hostile environment, in the name of progress and peace.
We at Halcyon High believe that young people like Adam would be well served by exposure to this history. I personally also believe that our production would be well served by Adam’s own life experience and perspective. He has the courage to take advanced classes for his age, and has excelled academically in an environment where he has few peers. He has, in one sense, left the comfort of home to venture into a strange land.
Every generation entrusts the future to the next. Adam’s generation will grow to adulthood, and shape the interactions between human and non-human people. They will be the occupants of Haven. They will explore the stars. They will be diplomats, ambassadors, scientists, but also our artisans, singers, and storytellers. Our scientific acumen is considerable, but we must have equal wisdom to know how to wield it. Our cultural heritage, such as the theater, helps us remember the mistakes of the past and hopes for the future. The administration and teachers at Halcyon High believe that “New Frontier” was written in this spirit. We hope that our students, and their families, will be as excited to participate in this activity as we are to facilitate it.
Sincerely,
Ann Ciecko
author: Bill G.
url: https://app.roll20.net/forum/permalink/5655107