It’s no secret that Red & Gold is Rosary’s favorite tradition, and there are a select few faculty members who are working tirelessly alongside us Royals to make performance weekend possible. Chief among them is our Director of Activities, Ms. LaBonte ’09. I took it upon myself to ask her about some of her Red & Gold duties and experiences:
Q: What’s your favorite Red & Gold memory as a student?
A: I really liked junior year, our team and our theme: Out of the Shadows. It was a darker storyline, but it was kind of creepy and fun.
Q: Do you have a favorite Red & Gold memory as the Director of Activities?
A: I don’t have one per se, I’m always impressed by the student body year after year. If something is shaky at rehearsal, they take the feedback and make something amazing. I’m impressed with how everyone’s individual talent comes together to make something incredible.
Q: How long does Red & Gold preparation take for you?
A: It’s a year-round thing: Paperwork in September; then captains selection from October to November; then, if it’s done, I give the names to White Team for the video over Thanksgiving Break. I have to contract the theater and the film crew almost a year in advance. The only time I’m not thinking about Red & Gold is the summer.
Q: What is something behind the scenes that you can share with us, or something that goes unnoticed that you work on?
A: The stuff to prepare the theater, working with the theater staff to help run the show (helping with the lifts, running the box office, etc..) ordering special lights, loading the confetti cannons, and taking care of the people who record the show.
Q: What aspect of Red & Gold is the most work for you?
A: I have two answers: performance weekend itself, there’s no time to spare and everything has to be on time; leading up to that it is the captain selection and teaming the entire school.
Q: As a student, did you ever think you’d be running Red & Gold as the Director of Activities?
A: Absolutely not. I enjoyed being a student in Red & Gold and never wanted the stress of being a captain.
Q: What has been your favorite Red & Gold theme so far?
A: 2021, The Grand Illusion, the showing online was literally a grand illusion because while it appeared that the audience was physically there, they weren’t.
We certainly appreciate all the hard work Ms. LaBonte and all our faculty and staff put into making Red & Gold the incredible performance it is!
