The Stadacona musical comedy
École secondaire Jean-de-Brébeuf

When youngsters are given the opportunity to express themselves, they have the chance to use their creativity, to discover their hidden talents, to develop their self-esteem and above all to find a reason to get up every morning to go to school. For four years, Jean-de-Brébeuf high school has given its students the wonderful power of creative expression thanks to an annual musical comedy project. The result: an enhanced feeling of belonging to the school, greater pride and academic success and a decrease in the school dropout rate and absenteeism. Who would now dare say that youngsters have nothing to say!

Once again this year, over 80 students from Secondary 1 to 5 and from all programs at Jean-de-Brébeuf school pooled their creative talents so as to stage a new musical comedy entitled Stadacona. Relating the history of Québec’s popular culture and its outside influences from the 1600s to today, the performance enabled students to take part, each in their own way, in the 400th anniversary celebrations of the City of Québec.

From the composition of texts and choreography design to the choice of songs, musical adaptation, scenery creation, costume design and stage direction, the students are involved in every single aspect. “The best part is, it’s not the teachers who tell us what to do. They trust us. We contribute our ideas and then put them into practice. It’s fantastic to be able to get a behind-the-scenes look at a production such as ours and to have the possibility of creating it from A to Z,” asserts Laurie Caron, a Secondary 4 student for whom this is a first experience in the performing arts.

Roxanne Grantham, another Secondary 4 student who is involved in the costume design for the play, tells the same story. “We have more than 300 costumes to prepare. And to find them, we organized an extensive collection in our school neighbourhood. People responded well and we did everything - the sorting, the selection, the search to find the right costumes as well as the sewing. I had never sewed before and I realized that I was really quite talented. The project not only stimulated my creativity, it also allowed me to develop entrepreneurial skills such as a sense of initiative and autonomy,” she explains.

For the teachers who lend their support to the project, it is vital that a school located in an underprivileged area such as Jean-de-Brébeuf give students the means to carry out artistic and cultural endeavours that help them develop their self-esteem and an openness to others and the world. “I have seen youngsters take the initiative and come out of their shell. I am referring especially to a handful of girls who designed the choreographies and then taught them to their classmates. It is hard to take the lead like that. And there are others who used to pass unnoticed and who today, thanks to their involvement in the play, are known and recognized in the school. That’s quite something,” Julie Mathieu, the teacher who initiated the project four years ago, says with enthusiasm.

This year, the students’ efforts will culminate with five performances presented during the first week of May, mainly at neighbouring elementary and high schools but also before the general public. And exceptionally this year, the youngsters will also perform their musical comedy several times on the main stage of the Espace 400e.

“The show is sure to be a great success but the best part is to see how all these students from different cultures and ethnic origins have pulled together and dedicated themselves to ensuring this success. It is thanks to moments like these that youngsters remember their high school years,” points out the school’s vice-principal, Nathalie Bonenfant.

The Stadacona musical comedy
École secondaire Jean-de-Brébeuf