I first walked into the theater in October 2020, it was the height of the pandemic, and the campus had just gone on the market. I remember thinking how cool it would be to have a theater program that aligned with our mission to embrace Chinese. But I never could have imagined anything like the Gum San Trilogy.
Ahead of this year’s annual Middle School musical, Ron Morris had shown me the script, and I had spoken with several of the students about the work they were doing, but I was unprepared for the impact that the performance had on me. I was sitting in the front row with Kim Kaz, and we both got choked up several times. I thought I hid it pretty well, but apparently not, according to Kim! The performance was so moving, and such a representation of our school and our community. I’ve felt proud of our school and students before, but this may have been the proudest I’ve ever felt. More than five years after walking into that theater for the first time it was like a dream come true.
Enjoy a recording of the production below.
Student Director’s Note
Dear CAIS Community,
CAIS Theater is truly special. Over 50 students come together at lunch and during very limited club hours to challenge themselves, collaborate, and, in the end, create and perform something meaningful. With the incredible support of teachers; parents, and administrators, our one-of-a-kind student-led theater program has become a CAIS institution.
This year’s production is quite different from previous incarnations of CAIS Theatre. It addresses a serious historical topic—the experience of Chinese immigrants at Angel Island—and connects that experience to what is happening in our country today. When I first brought the idea for this production to my fellow students, it was not well received: “Too serious! Too different! Not enough music! Were middle schoolers. Can we even pull something like this off?” CAIS Theatre is not a dictatorship. One person doesn’t control the creative direction. But with discussion, negotiation, and collaboration, we found a way forward that we could all agree on.
I am so proud of everyone involved in this year’s production. Thanks to our charming performers who have worked so hard. I would like to give a special thanks to our backstage crew, especially our students manning the tech booth, the true unsung heroes of any production! I also deeply appreciate all of our student leaders and their hardworking teams: Cast, Tech, Props, and Costumes. There is one person who made CAIS Theatre possible this (and last) year: Mr. Morris, we owe you our deepest gratitude for the long hours at lunch and after school that you have spent helping us, even through very rough times. We, your CAIS Theater family, are so grateful to have an infinitely patient and generous advisor like you. Special thanks to Brendan Getzell, our pianist, music coach, and miracle worker. I would also like to thank Sisi Zheng, who helped us with translation, Mr. Williamson, Mr. Bissell, and Annie Yu, our IT Director and Tech Wizard, and, of course, our parent volunteers Francesca Wong, David Papandrew, Cathleen Li, Sandy Chen, and Chloe Kweon.
Ilya T. ’26
Student Director, CAIS Theater