GODSPELL

The Godspell Experience

By Vincent Caparas and Kristin Fung
Along with the inspiration of the Godspell Cast
This article was originally printed in the June 2000 edition of the Vancouver College Principal's Newsletter.
When Mr. Canil asked me to write about my Godspell experience, I jumped at the chance to express myself in regards to something about which I feel extremely passionate. Ironically, I find it difficult to put my feelings into words. Perhaps it is because Godspell, to me, is more than a play. It is an experience.
Like you, in the beginning, I thought of Godspell as a play. I didn't think that I would make any new friendships or have any fun. We all surprised each other. It is incredible how close the fourteen cast members have gotten with each other and with the members of the choir and crew. Reminiscing about the early days, we had trouble remembering each other's names; our choreographer, Miss Herb, gave us names that made us easier to remember.

V.C. Godspell Cast

We have become a Godspell family, headed by our "parents": Mr. Canil, Mr. Santarossa, Tom Arntzen, and Miss Herb. From them, we learned things such as the Charleston, how to use our head voice, and how to tell cheap jokes. Our "parents" all taught us different things in their own way. Mr. Canil always gave his constant support and enthusiasm. Although we didn't really see him during our practices, he was always busy working behind the scenes to make us look good. It was us who took the glory but he was the one who had to endure all the strain. Mr. Santarossa added humour to our Wednesday practices. He taught us the values of respect and his critical eye caught every detail. His child-like personality made him easy to be around; it seemed like he was one of us kids. Mr. Arntzen is a brilliant musician who taught us the ins and outs of music. We are extremely grateful to him for teaching us and putting up with so much. Finally, Ms. Herb, a.k.a. Mrs. Godspell, was the wind beneath our wings during the course of the entire production. She took us under her wing and guided our flight on the path of show biz. She gave all her heart to us, sharing our laughter and tears as if they were her own. She is truly our Godspell mother and we are forever indebted to her and praise her with our gratitude.
It is amazing how fourteen completely different people can grow so close over such a short period of time. In the course of only a few months, we have coped with as many obstacles as a person faces in a quarter of their lifetime. We have dealt with deaths, relationship problems, and loneliness. However, we have also rejoiced with the births of new relationships, happiness, and camaraderie. We have shared our problems openly over the phone, over the Internet, or even in the echoey hallway of the new building. Our memories of one another will not fade and will stay forever ingrained in our minds.
Now that Godspell is over, it seems as if a giant chunk of our lives has died. We may no longer feel special, since we are no longer a part of something that we thought of as so special. However, our experience with Godspell is very much like the play itself. We join and sign up for a wonderful experience, we have fun, we learn, and we gain wisdom only for our teacher to be taken away and us left alone. Now, we come through this "death" with our heads held high, so as to keep and spread our light and experience to everyone around us. THAT is the true meaning of The Godspell Experience.

The Godspell webpage was developed by Alexander Bradley (< abradley at vc dot bc dot ca >.) Photographs are courtesy of Daniel Dent and Nick Zapala. Certain parts of the digital clips were produced in collaboration with Daniel Dent.
This production of Godspell was produced by special arrangement with the THEATRE MAXIMUS, 1650 Broadway, New York, N.Y. 10019.