We are excited to highlight the generous support of Cooper Lamontagne, who recently donated proceeds from his play, "Spring Awakening," to WAYS for Life. Cooper's dedication to our cause is truly inspiring. Below, he shares his journey, the inspiration behind his production, and why he chose to support WAYS for Life.
1. How did you hear about WAYS for Life?
“I actually heard about WAYS for Life through my mother. She has been friends with some of the WAYS staff like Melissa Scott and Katie Stewart for a while. When we were thinking of charities that would be a good fit for this production my mom told me about the WAYS mission, and I thought it was so powerful for this community.”
2. What is the overall meaning and background of the show? (This would be a great opportunity to share the storyline with others.)
"The overall meaning of this show is to honestly and authentically portray timeless issues surrounding teenage discovery and coming of age. I am fascinated by its juxtaposition of a strict, 1800s German society and a rock musical score. The scenes portray characters in their oppressive 1800s environment, but the second the rock musical score comes in it transcends this and becomes anytime, any place, anywhere.”
3. What resonates with you the most about this play and our mission?
“Well, by producing this show in Melbourne I wanted audiences to walk away being able to acknowledge uncomfortable issues that still plague our society, and recognize the importance of education and honest dialogue. This show is an honest portrayal of issues that impact adolescents EVERY SINGLE DAY, over 100 years after the play was originally written.”
4. Why did you choose WAYS for Life?
“The WAYS mission resonates with this show specifically because their services are in place to remove, encourage, and teach adolescents how to deal with adversity and challenges, like the ones seen on our stage.”
Thank you Cooper and his team for donating to WAYS for Life and for bringing awareness to issues that impact adolescents every single day through your art of acting. 🎭 Keep up the incredible work!