Students in SLTC Captivate Audiences During The Best of Everything

On Jan. 20 and 21, the St. Luke’s Theater Company (SLTC) flashed back to the early 1960s during performances of The Best of Everything. 

Adapted by Julia Kramer and based on the 1958 bestseller by Rona Jaffe, The Best of Everything follows the lives of young, ambitious women in the big city. These women, who are all employed as secretaries, want thrilling careers and adventures, as well as husbands and children. Today, we call it "having it all;" then, the women called it "the best of everything." 

The cast played their characters with poise and grace, even as they dove into mature topics, such as gender roles in the workplace, the sexual revolution, and abortion during the mid-20th century. The students' abilities to skillfully tackle these sensitive topics came as no surprise, as SLTC is the school’s advanced acting course. Offered by audition only, SLTC is for students who are serious about acting and theater. Our students, who meet during class to master technique and delivery, end each semester with a theatrical production.

My hope for SLTC is to give a voice to the hard questions and stimulate conversation. The theater is a perfect environment to take risks and ponder the what-ifs. One parent shared that The Best of Everything helped to launch a discussion with her teenage daughter, who, after watching the show, was interested in learning what life was like for her mom and the challenges she faced as a woman during those times. 

With the new semester underway, SLTC will be back on stage this spring with original material from Myles Seade ‘23.