In keeping with tradition, longtime Commonweal resident ensemble member David Hennessey pens a paean in honor of the year’s work, referencing each of the plays we produced in the season. Here is David’s poem for 2022:
A Rebuilding Year
Hollywood marked season 34’s start
As Libby met dad after years apart.
With stars in her eyes,
She figured his ties
To Pics could help. But, back east, slings and darts
Were all two actors collected from Moose
Halls…until fate gave them their golden goose:
Playing Max and Steve,
They dressed to achieve
A scam. Our Drood players let us deduce
Who villains were in a mystery tale
From London. Then, Margie tried to upscale
And make her ends meet
By going to greet
Her now-thriving old flame. We closed on trails
To trek with Alice down rabbit snow holes.
Meanwhile this year, we met attendance goals,
Despite eight closed nights
Due to Covid’s bite.
And we had changes to personnel rolls:
We bade Brandt, Elizabeth fond good-byes,
As Cody and Laurie came and said “Hi!”
We also brought back
The sales of our snacks,
Welcomed fresh blood with six new apprenti,
Pledged to preserving Page-to-Stage online,
Launched three staged readings of plays we inclined
To hearing aloud
Before a small crowd,
Closed out the year within budgets assigned,
And loved that our school matinees returned
As pandemic drifted slowly astern.
But our biggest lift
Was a canine gift:
Lucy’s stage debut brought applause well-earned!
—David Hennessey
