‘Normal is a myth,’ musical by Yorkville teachers displays finding strength through our disabilities

In ancient Greek tragedies a fatal flaw leads to the downfall of a tragic hero. Teachers and staff of Yorkville School District 115 are performing a musical flipping that old trope on its head, showing how our perceived weaknesses and disabilities make us human.

Benefiting the YEA Educators’ Scholarship fund, providing scholarships to collegiate students pursing teaching education careers, district staff are performing “The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical” from Oct. 18-20 at Yorkville Middle School. You can buy tickets msbtickets.com.

Michael McHugh, music and choir teacher and this year’s play director, said while he’s been involved in all seven plays over the past decade the faculty have performed for students and the community, this one is extra special because of its powerful theme that resonates with students.

“There’s a famous line in the show, ‘Normal is a myth,’ toying with the idea that sometimes what we think of as our downfalls, our faults, are actually the things making us really exciting and unique,” McHugh said. “The main character, Percy Jackson, is working through his ADHD and dyslexia while learning to become a demigod. It’s so powerful for neurodivergent kids to have somebody like them as a hero.”

McHugh plays the character of Mr. Brunner, a teacher role to the 12-year old Percy Jackson who is navigating the world of ancient Greek gods and their legends. McHugh said the most exciting part of playing his character is getting to magically transform from a human to a horse onstage, as his character reveals he’s secretly a centaur.

To pull of the show, 47 cast members, 14 students, and 12 behind-the-scenes set-builders, costume makers, and tech experts, work together to capture the magic of the performance.

McHugh said many faculty members have had zero theater experience and some have not performed since high school days. Hard-earned rehearsal hours helped shape the team’s performance.

“Every single cast member is coming with open hearts and open minds,” McHugh said. “The play provides this unique platform where they get to run around, dancing and singing, be in sword fights, and go back to what made being a kid so much fun in this world of fantasy.”

McHugh said keeping the budget low meant sometimes the play designers had to improvise.

“It’s been so fun watching our prop designers come up with magic out of everyday objects,” McHugh said. “They would find cheap items, and if you spray painted them, or glued them together in a certain way, create these believable and exciting onstage effects.”

One of the musical’s villains, the snake-like Medusa who turns her enemies into stone, is played by Tamara Eaton, a 7th and 8th grade theater teacher.

“The bad guys are always more fun to play,” Eaton said. “I get to vocalize all these fun S’s in a snake-like way.”

Eaton, who also serves as the musical’s technical director, said making the magic happen sometimes involved things as wild as making a toilet explode onstage. She said the special lighting and sound effects help make the performance a complete spectacle for the audience.

“The musical is about finding your purpose and discovering who you are,” said Eaton. “There’s some things we can’t change about ourselves, but some things we can. The musical is about learning the difference.”

She said seeing the staff’s performances over the years become the big spectacle it is today has really made her feel proud of all the hard work everyone has put in over the past decade. She said the experience is a wonderful chance for her to meet faculty from throughout the district and unite together for a common goal.

“Years ago with the first couple shows, people came thinking the performance would be silly,” Eaton said. “They were surprised by the quality of our shows. I hope this year the people leave saying, ‘Wow!’”