BY MRS MARISE MCCONAGHY

This article first appeared in Queenwood Weekly News on Friday 25 October 2024.

In the life of every student should be defining moments of exuberance and achievement they remember for life.

For the 75 students of Legally Blonde, last weekend’s performances delivered moments they’ll never forget.

The musical was, in a word, a triumph. As a leader in 3 schools, I’ve enjoyed more than my fair share of musicals. Legally Blonde counts as one of the best I’ve seen.

I’m not alone. A parent of girls involved in the Q Drama production wrote a glowing and well-deserved letter to our passionate producer and Head of Drama, Ms Jade Gibson, just after closing night:

You brought the best out of every person on stage, challenged and extended them to new heights, encouraged confidence and personal growth. 

Every girl and boy shone on the stage in their own role, relishing being part of something bigger and supporting each other.

The energy from the production was infectious. The joy and happiness that you brought to the cast and the broader school community cannot be underestimated. 

These moments no doubt will be memorable to the girls as they eventually reflect on their school experiences at Queenwood.
 
Growth strategy
What I love most about Legally Blonde is not just the triumphant performances but the transformative, intentional strategy that led to them.

For years, Queenwood has invested heavily in the performing arts, and we follow an arts development program that sees our girls begin performing in Kindy. Incrementally, year to year, our girls gain great confidence, skills and joy through performance.

Irrefutable research correlates a rich arts education with better academic grades, higher creativity and greater confidence. Drama, in particular, teaches playfulness, emotional authenticity and the invaluable real-life work skill of creating audience connection.

If you’ve ever had the pleasure of peeking behind the curtain, you’ll also know that artistic productions create opportunities for cast and crew alike to find new wells of courage and endurance, and – most importantly – comfort and encourage each other.

Prosocial behaviours like these are certainly taught in Queenwood classrooms – but it’s in powerful experiences like Legally Blonde that our girls embrace these behaviours for life.

I particularly enjoyed seeing our community – including parents, grandparents and friends – fill the Astra theatre over the three nights and share in joy and laughter and delight. Legally Blonde showed us yet again the power of the arts to unite us.

Ms Gibson and her team, including drama teacher Mr Glanville, are to be praised – not just for the magnificent performances, but for their commitment to the arts at Queenwood.

Indeed, my thanks go to all of the staff who made this possible, including property and advancement teams.

As a result, our girls’ stars could all shine a little brighter last weekend.

Brava!