Mercy High School Makes History: 2023-24 Theater Season Debuts World Premiere of Michigan-Authored Play and Disney’s Frozen
Groundbreaking theatrical productions celebrating the power of sisterhood begin in October with the debut of Angels of Bataan followed by the Michigan high school debut of "Disney’s Frozen: The Broadway Musical" in March 2024.
[Farmington Hills, MI, October 16, 2023] — Mercy High School, a Catholic, college preparatory school for young women, announced that its renowned performing arts department has once again proven its commitment to advancing the arts while championing strong female narratives. In an unprecedented move, the school will be the first to stage two works that embody the spirit of sisterhood: Angels of Bataan, a new drama penned by a local Michigan author will debut this month followed by the first high school staging of Disney’s Frozen: The Broadway Musical in the state of Michigan this spring.
"I really wanted to find stories that spoke to sisterhood because it aligned so well with our values at Mercy," said Shelley Bajorek, Chair of Mercy High School’s Performing Arts Department. "Both plays delve into the intricacies of relationships among women. They are obviously very different stories, but the common thread is the celebration of unity and the undeniable strength found in between sisters. Angels, is a story of perseverance and resilience during wartime. Frozen showcases a princess who counts on the love of her sister instead of needing to be saved by a prince.”
“We are incredibly proud to be the sole school in the state to have won a nationwide United States of Frozen contest granting us the rights to stage this beloved show. To be able to produce this show in a season where we will also have a world-premier event of a local playwright highlights our excellence and innovation in the arts,” said High School President, Dr. Cheryl Delaney Kreger.
Reenacting WWII in Angels of Bataan
Angels of Bataan, written by local Michigan author Tracy Wells, tells the true story of female Army nurses who were prisoners of war during World War II.
“What intrigued me was telling the story of female heroes. I wanted to tell a story about healing and how friends - and importantly - these sisters, were put in extraordinary circumstances and how they endured,” said Wells. “I didn’t want to tell a story about tragedy, but of resilience. These women came to what they thought would be a vacation and became nurses in war and ultimately, POWs. I loved having a chance to tell a story about amazing women for a group of amazing young women to try.”
Ms. Wells has written other works that have been staged by schools around the country, but she allowed Mercy to be the first to sign Angels of Bataan, giving them the world premiere of this production, making this class the original cast.
“I loved that Mercy was exploring the theme of sisterhood. This story tells the story not only of actual sisters, but of the sisterhood of nurses. Trauma bonds you in a way that nothing else does, as we learned so acutely during the pandemic,” said Wells.
In line with the school's tradition of community engagement, special events have been organized around both productions. Student actors have already met with the author to learn more about her vision for the drama and held workshops with war veterans and local nurses.
“This is an educational experience for the cast as well. We want the students to gain as much insight to what these women endured as possible. Having our actors learn from lived experiences has been an invaluable asset to their ability to fully tell this story,” said Bajorek.
Debuting Michigan’s First Performance of Disney’s Frozen
In the summer of 2022, Ms. Bajorek and the Performing Arts team, along with high school directors around the country, competed in the United States of Frozen: Love Is An Open Door contest. Sponsored by the Educational Theatre Association, Music Theater International, and Disney Theatrical Group, the competition granted one high school in every state or territory across the country the right to produce the musical. Mercy High School learned they won the contest in September 2022 and began fundraising immediately for additional tools for the production.
“We were beyond excited,” Bajorek said. “I am a huge Disney fan and I loved that Frozen focused on sisterhood and ‘girl power.’ It is such a wonderful opportunity, but I can’t help but be slightly terrified. It is a big undertaking and we want to do it right!”
As a part of the contest, all high schools were asked to describe their vision for the musical and how they emulate the theme, “Love is an open door.”
“We felt like ‘Love is an open door’ theme highlighted who we are at Mercy. Our Theater department is such a welcoming place, and there is always an open door for students who want to try something new and exciting. In our application, we highlighted how we would use the critical concerns of the Sisters of Mercy in our production: Women, Non-Violence, Anti-Racism, Immigration, and Earth. All of these concerns can be connected to the story of Frozen. Overall, it is an opportunity for us to exercise our core values that are so clearly seen in this story - like educational courage, a voice for dignity and respect, and principled leadership,” Bajorek explained.
Auditions for the musical were held in early September and the cast and crew with over 100 high school and middle school students from around the metro Detroit area has already been chosen.
“There is just something magical about high school theater. We teach our actors to dive into the psychology of each character to understand what makes them act the way they do. It’s an amazing journey of discovery. And for our students, these are more than performances; they are platforms that empower our young women at a pivotal phase in their lives to find and amplify their voices, ultimately enabling them to navigate the nuances of sisterhood and womanhood,” said Bajorek.
Angels of Bataan will be staged October 20-22 and tickets are now available. Frozen will be staged over two weekends in March 2024. Tickets will be available in February 2024.
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About Mercy High School
Mercy High School is a sponsored ministry of the Institute of the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas and is a member of Mercy Education. Compelled by the Catholic faith and the spirit of the Sisters of Mercy, Mercy High School is a premier college preparatory school that educates and nurtures young women of diverse backgrounds to excel academically, serve compassionately, and lead courageously. The Mercy High School Michigan tradition began in 1945 when the Sisters of Mercy opened Our Lady of Mercy High School at Outer Drive and Southfield Roads in Detroit. As enrollment grew, Mercy relocated to a larger campus in Farmington Hills in 1965. The student body is made up of young women from over 60 metropolitan Detroit communities. Mercy is proud of its 16,000+ alumnae throughout the world who are making a difference. For more information, visit mhsmi.org.
Shelley Bajorek, Performing Arts Department Chair, Mercy High School
Ms. Bajorek has been performing since the age of four, graduated from Wayne State with a BFA in acting where she won a Best Supporting Actress award for her portrayal of Rose in Dancing at Lughnasa. She continued her education at Oakland and Wayne State Universities to earn her teaching certification in English. Ms. Bajorek has performed locally in dozens of productions, including the world premiere of The Spirit House at Performance Network and the regional premiere of Head over Heels at The Ringwald. While this is her tenth year teaching in a school setting, she has been working with youth in the arts since 2003 as a choreographer, director, and dance teacher.