On February 14, 2018 the deadliest high school shooting in United States history changed the Parkland, Florida community forever.
Seventeen victims were fatally killed on that day, further catalyzing an ongoing conversation about gun control and violence in our country’s schools. While the tragic events that happened left a mark on the region’s constituents, the activism displayed by students in the aftermath of the shooting have been impressive and inspiring on a national scale.
“When we were put out into the public eye, it was something interesting for the world to see and I think it really took a new look into a high schooler’s life because there are a lot of well put together high schoolers all over the country,” Ashley Paseltiner stated as she reflected on the public’s reaction to the youth activists that took center stage in the nationwide gun control debate.
HBO’s Song of Parkland introduces us to Melody Herzfeld’s drama class, who were rehearsing a school musical on the day that shots rung out in their school’s hallway. Herzfeld vividly describes the day within the documentary, and how she bravely did what she could to keep the 65 students in her drama class safe during the shooting. When the students finally went back to school they picked up right where they left off, embodying the phrase “the show must go on” in a situation that even the strongest-willed among us would find challenging.
Herzfeld’s leadership and heroism on that day and the days that followed in her drama class were recognized by a 2018 Excellence in Theatre Education Tony Award. Along with the immense amount of pride that comes with receiving such an honor, Herzfeld eloquently acknowledged that the under these circumstances, the celebration is bittersweet.
“With a lot of triumph, there’s a lot of guilt. It’s a beautiful trophy,” said Herzfeld. “We’ve had our rounds in our room where I basically said to the kids that I wish I never got this thing. I wish that we could just go back. You think about ‘Why?’ Especially when you work so hard for something and you really try and do your best all the time, you’d rather it be all on merit—not on tragedy.”
In a world where political gridlock makes headline news and Washington’s bureaucracy seems to cause a delayed reaction on the issues we deem most important, Song of Parkland brings a much-need dose of hope in the ability to take the necessary steps for healing from the world around us in our own hands. Seven-time Emmy Award winner Amy Schatz, Song of Parkland’s director and producer, found a way to spotlight how Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School’s drama students are using their art to rise above adversity. The resiliency displayed by the students within the documentary both inside their drama class and during protests and marches for a cause that has greatly affected their lives, shines as a positive note in an otherwise frustrating and saddening song.
“You start seeing people reach out to others and say is there anything I can do for you? Is there anything I can help you with? And I really liked that aspect of our community that was coming out of this,” stated Alex Wind, when discussing how the shooting impacted his songwriting and creative process. “The giving someone a hand and lifting them up rather than the tragedy, and that’s what I really wanted to highlight.”
The Song of Parkland documentary debuts on Thursday, February 7 at 7:00pm ET/PT, exclusively on HBO.
Photo Credit: HBO
