Play helps students deal with their grief
Losing a family member raises all sorts of questions for those left behind.
Do you follow your own dreams or those of the recently deceased?
That's the main question posed in "And Neither Have I Wings to Fly," a play presented this weekend at Glenbard North High School in Carol Stream.
The family's matriarch dies after an illness in which she's cared for by her daughter. That same daughter, then, is haunted by her mother after her death, explained teacher Donna Burke, who's directing the play.
Based in the 1950s, the play explores the expectations society places on the daughter to stay and care for her father, even though she's given an opportunity to leave.
"She's been given a scholarship, but she feels her responsibility is to take care of her dad," Burke said.
It's a particularly poignant play at the moment because the school just lost a beloved member Oct. 31, band director Bill Schraft.
"With the death of Bill Schraft, we're talking about how you follow your dreams. We're working through two things at once," Burke said. "You have to go on and follow your dreams."
Cast members include Joey Fitzpatrick, Alannah Halbert, David Zemke, Kelsey Petersen, AJ Burkhart, Tom Horvath, and Julie Slanker.
'And Neither Have I Wings to Fly'
What: Drama centered around family loss and the decisions those left behind make to move forward.
Where: Glenbard North, Little Theater, 990 N. Kuhn Road, Carol Stream
When: 7:30 p.m. today through Nov. 17
Cost: $5 per ticket
Details: (630) 681-3399