Another
Shining
Moment
The cantankerous King Pellinore (Dcn. Robert
Bacik) introduces himself to Queen Guenevere
(Grace Knoche), while the other Knights of the
Round Table and servants look on with envy.
Lively Camelot draws
1,200 guests for three
weekend performances.
Don’t let it be forgot
That once there was a spot
For one brief shining moment
that was known as Camelot.
With these final lyrics, the production
of the musical Camelot at Sacred Heart
came to an end with the last show on
Saturday, March 21. For the members of
the cast and crew, that “one brief shining
moment that was known as Camelot”
will definitely not be forgot.
After a weekend of three shows, the
number of attendees who filled the seminary auditorium was estimated to be
1,200. At the end of each performance,
guests reached deeply to give a freewill
offering to help the seminarians replace
outdated stage equipment. The donations in the collection baskets totaled an
astounding $9,630.
Mostly Seminarians—with Some Help
Camelot was a seminarian-run production primarily: the men constructed the
sets, worked on the backstage crew, directed
the show, worked as ushers, and performed
both acting onstage and playing instruments in the pit orchestra. In all, twenty-
four seminarians acted in the musical. They
received help from Ms. Grace Knoche, who
performed the sole female role of Queen
Guenevere, and splendidly so.
As with the previous spring performances, the men chose Camelot because, understandably, most of the parts are played by
men. Set in medieval England, Camelot follows the well-known story of the Knights
of the Round Table and King Arthur, who
tries to establish a new order of civility after witnessing the brutality of war.
Six Plays and Counting
Putting on a yearly play had been a
seminary tradition since the 1930s. But
the tradition was discontinued in 1989—
then resurrected six years ago by two
seminarians with a background in drama and plenty of creative determination.
“If we both end up in seminary,
wouldn’t it be great to start up the plays
again?” Brian Meldrum and Matthew
Hood asked each other during a
Discernment Weekend they attended in
2008. Supported by the administration,
the men decided to make this passing
thought real after entering the seminary
in 2009. With Brian directing and
Matthew assisting, the seminarians staged
the first play in Sacred Heart’s auditorium
in twenty-one years, 12 Angry Men, in the
s