We tend to hide from that which scares us. We cover it up. We lock it in a closet. We avoid it for fear of being uncomfortable. Nowhere is this truer than in high schools. In my now twenty years as a teaching artist for teens, I have often noted the unfortunate disconnect between what is often addressed in classrooms –and what is actually going on in the hall-ways and in personal lives. Ablaze began as a non-musical play at Lincoln High School in 2004 and was based on lengthy interviews and discus-sions with teenagers. The idea was to create a high tension, terrifying situation –and in doing so, to lift the veil from difficult subject matter. My hope is that by highlighting challenging themes, the notion of empathy as ultimate power comes front and center. For how can anyone move though life with dignity and integrity if they have not learned how to walk in the shoes of another? For the musical adaptation, I continued to stay engaged with the teenaged voice. Having first developed the musical at Wilson High School where we would talk every day about these characters, I was able to expand many of the ideas in the play, and now with music, there is an abstraction that hopefully creates even greater emotional resonance. And during this journey to this professional premiere, I’ve been blessed to have the opportunity to revise further, flesh out stories, and hopefully land on a version that has the most impact. But regardless of the piece itself, the most extraordinary aspect of this process has been the dedication of this young company. Staged! has visionary leadership, and we were all determined to utilize a young cast –for the actors to all be close in age to the characters. It’s important to me that this is not only a piece about young people –but is for them as well. We tend to underestimate youth, to devalue their voices, to over question their abilities –and they are an inspiration. I feel so privileged to be on this journey. There are no words to truly express my gratitude to the scores of people who have supported this concept for nearly a decade. I hope you know how much you mean to me. And I am now so thrilled to be able to offer this collaborative effort to wider audiences here in the city I love so dearly… 

–Matthew B. Zrebski