COLORADO SPRINGS — COVID-19 may have cancelled several events for kids, but one local private school is finding a way to bounce back.
For students at The Colorado Springs School, theatre is more than just an elective.
"It's helped me discover more about myself and how to deal with my internal conflicts," said Estin Novak.
Novak graduated from The Colorado Springs School this year, but came back to star in the long-delayed spring musical, Fiddler on the Roof. He says he was upset to discover the musical had been cancelled.
"I was sad because we had put so much work into it, and I was looking forward to doing it for my last show here," said Novak.
But thanks to Sandra Bray, the former theatre teacher, the show will go on. She came out of retirement and got to work on an alternate plan.
"It's a show that I love, it's a show I've done before. It's about community," said Bray.
She outlined a plan for an outdoor performance on the school's terrace. She organized social distanced rehearsals with cast and crew wearing masks and face shields. With the outdoor performance, she also had to redesign the set.
"We've had rain on the stage, we've had wood warping, but we will work all of that out and open," said Bray.
Sam Johnson is another alumni that came back to participate in the musical.
"It means a lot that all of the crew decided to pull through, learn their lines and songs again," said Johnson.
Bray says this wouldn't have been possible without the support of The Colorado Springs School. She says they've supported her throughout the entire process.
Fiddler on the Roof will be performed Friday and Saturday for CSS families. It will not be open to the public in order to keep the audience small.
