Summer musical stars Albany kids

By KARA ECKHARDT, INTERN- | Comments: 0 | Leave a comment

Every year, a giant singing book shares the good news of God's love at St. Vincent de Paul parish in Albany.

The book is "Psalty" -- a pun on a "psalter" or book of psalms, and the main character in a series of musicals St. Vincent's has been staging for almost three decades. On Aug. 6 at 7 p.m., children and teens from the parish will perform "Psalty's Christmas Calamity!"

Deborah Chard-Wierschem and Mary Matacchiero co-direct the "Psalty" plays. Every summer, they said, there are about 20 rehearsals: two nights a week, from right after Memorial Day until the play is performed in August.

"The ages of the kids in the play are three to 19. Sometimes, adults participate. Father [Leo] O'Brien, [sacramental minister,] and [Betsy Rowe Manning,] the parish life administrator, even had a role in the play one year," said Ms. Chard-Wierschem.

The scripts for the musicals were something she found decades ago in a Christian bookstore and modified to perform in a Catholic church. The goal of the singing "Psalty" book is to share the message of the Gospel with children.

Staging a musical this summer about Christmas was deliberate, Ms. Chard-Wierschem said: "It's a wonderful show with a great message. The Christmas season is too crazy to take on [this play]. You can't reflect on Christmas during the actual season. [In July,] you can explore the theme of Christmas."

Everyone from the crew to the musicians for the "Psalty" plays are volunteers. "I think we worked out a really good formula for how this works for our community and children. We know the procedures and drills," said Ms. Chard-Wierschem.

Ms. Matacchiero told The Evangelist the plays create a "sense of community" for the children, showing them that they belong to the Church and "teaching them that we can praise God together in their language, not in ours. The Church is [based] around what adults understand."

Ms. Matacchiero's daughter, Shyla, is 14 years old and attends Doane Stuart School in Rensselaer. She called "Psalty" "a form of worship for the kids," since not all the children in the plays are old enough to receive communion.

Ms. Chard-Wierschem noted that "we start every rehearsal with prayer. We have open prayer, so the kids can pray for what they want."

All the children who participate are given a line to speak or a solo. Ms. Matacchiero recalled when her daughter, who's now 28, became involved in "Psalty" at age four. She stayed until she was 18: "She has developmental delays, and she was readily accepted. She [shone]. Some of her best friends are from 'Psalty.'"

Ms. Chard-Wierschem recounted when another girl who has disabilities auditioned: "It takes a lot of courage to say your name and sing. [She] went up and, in her own way, did her version of a song, and kids applauded her. She bowed her head and had a huge smile. I was so proud that we could offer that to her. She felt integrated with her peers - probably for one of the first times."

The co-director believes the "Psalty" plays "bring God's message of love and hope on a personal, real level. It's not about the words, but about the experience."

(For information, call 518-489-5408.) [[In-content Ad]]