2018 GMVS Peaks Magazine

Recommendations

Info

gumBieS on Stage… From Moulton Road to the big screen In 1978, GMVS students performed in the school’s first musical. Little did they know that that year’s rendition of Godspell would pave the way for one of the school’s most cherished traditions. Since its inception under the leadership of former Head of School and Theater Director, Dave Gavett, the annual musical theater production has helped to ground the GMVS community around its core values. Community building, coordination, courage, and confidence have been the outcomes of nearly 40 years of theater. “Theater is a wonderful community building device; it is truly all-for-one and one-for-all. That part of what happens each year is great, but also theater is consistent with the GMVS philosophy: it pushes kids out of their comfort zone.” – Dave Gavett, former Head of School and Theater Director. Singing and dancing in front of others is terrifying for many teenagers and adults, but, over the years, several GMVS students have found themselves at home on the stage. Recent graduate Allie Davis ’18 is one for whom the stage beckons. With a natural stage presence and an incredible voice, Allie was cast in lead roles throughout her five years at GMVS, and she wrote a compelling college essay on what theater at GMVS has done for her. “It’s a very special thing when it’s okay for big, tough athletes to get onstage and sing. That’s rare, and it’s important for the health of a community that everyone make a fool of themselves once in a while.” – Buddy Simis ’04 18 Todd Schneider ’86 coordinating the stunts for the skiing sequence in xXx: The Return of Xander Cage. Todd (right) playing the role of Carabinieri in Angels & Demons alongside Tom Hanks and Italian Victor Alfieri (right).
Curtain Call I quietly pace back and forth tugging on the ends of my braided pony tails. People pour into the seats of the once empty theater. Although I cannot see my audience to be, I can feel them, hear them, smell them. The director walks my way to wish me luck before the performance. I can tell he is hoping the shy girl he cast as Lefou, a crazy and comedic character, will be able to pull it off. The crowd starts to hush as an announcer’s voice fills the room presenting our show, Beauty and the Beast. I take one last deep breath to calm my nerves as I hear the music begin. Stepping out from behind the black curtain, I feel the warmth of the spotlight across my face, and I am instantly transformed. In a place where many claim to find themselves most vulnerable, I find my self most comfortable. I am able to let go of who I am and become the loud outgoing person I always wished to be. I get to live in the shell of someone else until real life returns two hours later. Even after, several solo songs, over two hundred lines, and countless dance moves, the part of the show I am always the most nervous for is the curtain call, my final bow. The curtain call is the pivotal moment in the show where I am transformed from my character back into Allie Davis. I am left completely exposed on the stage in front of hundreds of people. They don’t love me, they love the person I was pretending to be. They don’t hear my voice echoing through the theater, they hear Lefou’s voice. If I trip now they laugh at me; if Lefou trips they laugh with her. Originally I thought the character I was playing would die when each production came to an end. However now, five years later, I realize that I was wrong. Over the years I have mimicked many drastically different characters, from a princess to a joker. Although I may not have been the same person as any of these characters, I believe each one is still with me today. They have taught me to be confident, empathetic, passionate, and to always stand up for myself. I’ve learned to forget my original insecurities and I now know it is okay to take risks and make mistakes. Musical theater has pushed me to step out of my comfort zone, not only on stage but in real life as well. I now look to stretch my boundaries in many different aspects including athletics, academics, and social scenes. I never imagined I was capable of starring in a musical production, which has made me realize I should never underestimate myself. Just because you don’t think you can do something doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try, and it could potentially end up being one of your greatest passions in life. Theater has allowed me to mature in ways I never thought possible, and has had a significant impact on my character. In my most recent production, Chicago, I played the role of Roxie Hart, a spunky girl with big dreams. Oddly enough, as I ran out on stage to take my final bow as a high school student, I wasn’t nervous in the slightest. As I stood in front of the audience, I was confident not only as Roxie Hart but as Allie Davis. Like Allie, Todd Schneider ’86 discovered an unexpected passion for performance in a high school for competitive athletes. After two years on the lighting crew, Todd decided he better try out for the play and was cast as Oliver in Oliver. “I was not expecting to be the lead, and had never sung in front of anyone, ever. It was an amazing experience. I found that I was not nervous in front of crowds, I loved performing, and wanted to do it more and more.” After a short stint with the U.S. Ski Team, Todd returned to Vermont to study Small Business Management and Graphic Design at the University of Vermont where he also competed on the alpine ski team. With three national championships in his pocket, Todd pursued freelance graphic design in Burlington and Miami before realizing that he “wasn’t made to sit at a desk and stare at a computer all day.” 19 Led by his wife’s pursuit of a career in film and television, Todd moved west to Los Angeles where he reentered the acting world in an effort to make friends. After a few years of training as a stuntman and hustling for work, Todd held a Screen Actor’s Guild card and was earning a living doing stunt work on movies and television. Since 2001 Todd has performed as a stuntman or worked as a stunt coordinator in over 100 films or television shows including Ghostbusters, Captain America: Civil War, Ant-Man, Angels & Demons, CSI: Miami, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, and Spider-Man 3. His stunt work and acting have led him to rub shoulders with actors as prolific as Tom Hanks and he credits much of his success to what he learned at GMVS. “Being athletic and tenacious, and confident in front of crowds.... That’s what I attribute to how I got into the stunt world.”
Page 1 and 2: PEAKS2017-2018 GMVS goes to PyeongC
Page 3 and 4: Welcome to Spring 2018 Letter from
Page 5 and 6: 2 Soccer players named to the 2017-
Page 7 and 8: Another highlight of the semester h
Page 9 and 10: GIVING BACK The GMVS community than
Page 11 and 12: Brie Beckwith, Physical Therapist
Page 13 and 14: 13
Page 15 and 16: he worked in many high-level kitche
Page 17: The experiences Kenny had at GMVS p
Page 21 and 22: New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico
Page 23 and 24: What brought you to the 2018 Olympi
Page 25 and 26: Class Notes! Catch up with the Gumb
Page 27 and 28: annual fund Thank you for your help
Page 29 and 30: Ted & Martha Austin Renny Babiarz P
Page 31 and 32: 2017-2018 Volunteer Leadership Grou

2018 GMVS Peaks Magazine

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?