Perpich Arts High School Theater Ensemble Presents “Montage of an American dream deferred”

December 16, 2024

The Perpich Arts High School Theater Ensemble presented “Montage of an American dream deferred” on Thursday, December 12th and Friday, December 13th. The production was a newly devised verbatim play, a type of documentary theater that uses the exact words of real people in a play’s script. Written by the students, the show wove together moments and songs that analyzed the American dream.

“It was the most difficult show I’ve done with high school students,” said Tory Peterson, Theater Instructor. “Asking them to stand outside themselves and work with ideas and opinions from individuals other than themselves; asking them to wrap their heads around an idea, do some critical thinking, and bring in ideas to work with; it was the first project like this for most of them and it asked for much trust and understanding. Great learning opportunity for students, great stress builder for me.”

Audrey Tuite (Musical Theater 2026) said, “I am very proud of how the show turned out. We all put a lot of time and effort into the show, and I am especially very proud of my castmates who stepped in for someone who was gone.”

Ailee Bartz (Musical Theater 2026) said, “This production has taught me about the American Dream itself and different people’s views on the American Dream, reminding me that we all have different views yet we can coexist together. Additionally, I’ve learned more about producing scenes and what it’s like to be a Perpich Theater/Musical Theater student!”

In 1931, when writer James Truslow Adams coined the term “the American Dream,” it had more to do with idealism than material prosperity. The American Dream, he wrote in “The American Epic”, was “that dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement.”

“Montage of an American dream deferred” is a bit of an homage to Langston Hughes’ book of poetry, “Montage of a dream deferred”. The Perpich play and Hughes’ poetry are about the lives and dreams of Americans as they ask if there is still an opportunity for all people to access this greater vision. This verbatim play is devised from personal interviews, Story Corps, and Quora. The Perpich Theater Ensemble has tackled the subject of the American Dream, offering a wide array of perspectives, and sometimes raising more questions than answers. Despite Truslow Adams’s definition, the ideals that America is supposed to represent have always been contested, marked by its conflicting challenges of its political nuances and paradoxical insights.

Congratulations to all those involved in the show!