All are Welcome in Our Revels Community

A guest post by Katrina Van Duyn
December 1, 2017

Although I usually join in Revels’ Christmas productions as a specialty performer, in Québécois I am happy to play a more hybrid role, not exactly a chorus member (I was not hired for my soprano chops), but definitely a member of the village community onstage. So I have come to the chorus rehearsals as much as possible, and have enjoyed and learned so much from them.

My on-stage “daughter-in-law” in the community reminded me last night that I have come much more often to chorus rehearsals than I did for our last production of Québécois, in 2008. I have puzzled over this. This is so, not just because I have Wednesday evenings free this year, though that’s true. Rather it has, I think, more to do with what our artistic director, Roberta, spoke about at last Wednesday’s chorus rehearsal. For our country, it has truly been a rough year for many if not all. “Rough” is the word I want here. In our lives we may be thirsty for adventure and profit, like our wild and crazy voyageurs, but we also seek kindness, acceptance, and gentleness. And responsibility. And sometimes, forgiveness.

Would I presume too much to say for all of us that our hearts long more than ever for community and sharing? We Revelers are in luck! For more than anything, this is what we have to offer one another and our audience, as we play together on stage. And aren’t we amazingly lucky to be able to play, as we did when we were children? To make believe our village community into life and then fold our audiences in, with delight and gentleness? Come one, come all on our voyage!