12/19/2024
This was our home.
For ten years, the Junior Players theatre school met every Monday night from September til our Showcase performance in the spring, and it changed our lives.
I was humbled at how long folks would drive through a blizzard to join us. Students came from Sherwood Park, Chipman, Wainwright, you name it, and this beautiful old building welcomed them all.
There was a lot of magic here.
We looked out for each other, and we made worlds.
We were all set to do our 10th anniversary show in 2020, but Covid had other plans. We made the most of having to wear masks. but we couldn’t rehearse or do a show in the spring of ‘21 either.
By June things had relaxed a bit but the season was over, so we did a private Showcase, for each other. We each brought two talents, and the campfire burned til morning. It was the best Showcase we ever did, and it was all the more special because our audience was each other, although we did miss our home and we did wish you all could have joined us.
The Paragon Theatre took good care of us, and in return, it was in good and loving hands. In all the years, not a single one of my students ever backed out of a Showcase.
By the time we shut down, I had a new name for my Monday night lights. Most of them barely cleared 5 foot 2 and were all bragging about how tall they were. I needed a name to convey how we reached for the sky while standing firm on this stage that held us so well for so long, so we became Skyscrapers. The name fit perfectly, as our home was one of Holden’s tallest buildings!
There are some things that can never be replaced. The Paragon had a quality to it that retained its uniqueness no matter what anyone did. Stepping into it, you’d swear it was the same age on its final day as when it first opened. Time had no meaning within these walls.
To all those who built the Paragon, I hope you know you helped make so many lives that much better. To the County who kept it going when they took it over, your investment was made in dollars but the return can only be measured in joy, and it was worth every penny. I'm glad I got to see the theatre play movies again after I crawled around in the ceiling hanging the screen brackets!
To my past students, thank you all. I hope you never forget rule number one: Have fun, and respect each other. Don’t worry, those worlds we made are all still there.
To future generations, you’ll never know what you missed, but you’ll make your own memories. You’ll see there’s no such thing as empty spaces, and whether you know it or not, you’ll always have a home.
