Elise Hendricks ‘28
Poster by Hannah Lowenstein
After making one captivating pitch for which musical the SLC Musical Theatre Ensemble should perform this Fall, Anabel Richardson, ‘27, a Senior at Sarah Lawrence College, pitched Godspell as the Fall Musical.
After much excitement and waiting for the official announcement, Richardson was pleased to know that Godspell was chosen as the Fall musical with her as the director.
Giving herself the title of “former choir kid,” Richardson is no stranger to the music scene. After volunteering at theatre summer camps prior to college, she decided to immerse herself in the musical theatre scene when she began attending Sarah Lawrence. “I’ve always been drawn to the music aspect of theatre,” Richardson explained.
After her very busy schedule Freshman year and the demand that being a Theatre Third brings, Richardson decided to take a step back from her full-time Theatre Third commitment. Still, for the past three years, she’s remained involved in theatre and close with her theatre community. Now, she’s come full-circle her Senior year, finding another path back to the theatre in her momentous directorial role.
Although this is Richardson’s first time being a lead director, she served as a co-director for SLC’s production of The Lightning Thief in Spring 2025. It’s evident that Richardson devotes a great amount of time to the stage. When Richardson gave her perspective on this full-circle experience of becoming lead director for Godspell, she recalled how it feels to have been entrusted to direct the cast and crew this Fall. “I think of it as bookends,” explained Richardson. “I started as a freshman, and it’s so nice to come back and know this is what I’d like to do.”
Keeping in mind that there have been hundreds of thousands of productions done of Godspell ever, done a multitude of different ways, Richardson has taken her own creative liberties to ensure that this production has its own new, thought-provoking approach. “The original movie had the clown aspect, the 2012 revival was more modern but still a little circus-y and rustic, a production in Flint, Michigan did Godspell in a pool, etc.” explained Richardson. “For this production, I wanted to pay homage to aspects from both the original movie and the Broadway revival, combining the 70s visuals with an overall church basement sort of vibe; generally speaking, a sort of space that you can’t help but be drawn into.” Richardson also spoke to the numerous ad-libs and improv that the cast has incorporated throughout rehearsals thus far, bringing a special sense of individuality to the stage.
It’s not so much her love for the stage as it is the love for the people around her. “Directing Godspell has honestly been such a dream. I’m so grateful to be able to foster a theatre community,” said Richardson. “It’s a great community, and I’m so grateful to be in that room.”
It’s unmistakable, too, that Richardson has brought a warming environment to the rehearsal space thus far, and more so, it’s evident that she cares about fostering a welcoming, comfortable environment for everyone she works with. Props manager and long-time friend of Richardson, Phia Prichard, spoke on Richardson’s efforts and effective directing style for Godspell. “She’s a lovely friend. I feel like everyone in that rehearsal room gets a very warm, inviting presence, and that’s perfect for directing,” said Prichard. “She’s leading us on this journey.”
Prichard spoke to the endless time and preparation that both they and Richardson have devoted to this production as well. “I’m really lucky to get so much of her time,” said Prichard. “It’s a fun balance because we’ll be having a totally normal conversation and then we’ll stop and “talk shop” about Godspell.”
Madison Goodyear-Brown is a Senior at Sarah Lawrence College and plays Jesus in Sarah Lawrence’s production of Godspell. Goodyear-Brown has worked with Richardson on a couple of projects prior to Godspell, including her first Sarah Lawrence production. Goodyear-Brown spoke to how Richardson embodies the meaning of Godspell through her directing style for Godspell. “Ultimately, for a show that is centered around love,” said Goodyear-Brown. “Ana created a space where we all felt loved, and free to cultivate loving friendships with each other.”
As Richardson put it, “Every single night I’ve had the privilege of watching the cast learn to love each other over and over again, and each show I’ve seen them find new ways to get the audience involved or try something new with each other in how they tell the story onstage. It truly is such a creative and joyous space.”
As Godspell opens, it should be palpable to the audience just how much blood, sweat, tears, and love went into this production, all fostered by Richardson.
Godspell takes place on November 13th, 14th, and 15th. All shows are currently sold out; however, you can be placed on the waitlist by showing up at the theatre prior to the show.
