Pain, Recovery, and Finality: Ella Lewis’s Return to the Stage
Due to a severe injury sustained by lead actress senior Ella Lewis, The Spongebob Musical was delayed and will open Thursday at 7:00 p.m. Although Lewis has faced numerous setbacks, she is excited to preform.
January 19, 2023
Originally scheduled to open in late November, The Spongebob Musical opens Thursday at 7:00 p.m. The show was delayed to accommodate for a severe back injury sustained by senior Ella Lewis, the actress playing SpongeBob, that occurred during a rehearsal.
“This was the worst injury I have ever had in my life,” Lewis said. “My doctors said I was very close to being paralyzed or ruining my back forever or both. The scaffolding was quickly put together and just fell apart when Riziki Kimani, Sandy, and I climbed up onto it. We’re still climbing it in the show, but we’ve put into place extra precautions so it will not fall apart this time.”
While Lewis’s physical injuries would prove to be a setback, the effects the injury and the subsequent show delay had on her mental health would prove to be their own challenge.
“It was so difficult for me because I felt like I was the reason everyone couldn’t see or perform the show,” Lewis said. “My friends that came back from college for the holidays were going to see it, and now they won’t be able to. Parents of kids who bought tickets came up to me saying how disappointed they were that the show was moved. I felt like everything was my fault.”
Lewis also finds herself in a unique situation, as she obtained all the necessary credits to graduate this past December. No longer taking classes on campus, The SpongeBob Musical is her last tie to the school.
“I think I will be sad when the show is over,” Lewis said. “There’s this thing called after show depression, and I get it after every show I’ve done. When this show is over it will be confusing because it is my last connection to my high school friends, and we’ve been doing this show for almost 6 months.”
Despite setbacks both mental and physical, along with the sadness of leaving friends behind, Lewis has persevered. After months of recovery and preparation, she is ready for her place in the spotlight.
“With physical therapy, and love from my friends and family, I was able to heal,” Lewis said. “I can’t wait to put on my final show in High School. During tech week, you eat, sleep, and breathe the show. SpongeBob is all I’ve thought about, and I feel as excited as I am stressed. This show has been a blessing and a curse, but I’m finally better to give it my all.”
Joe deLarios • Jan 20, 2023 at 12:27 pm
Great show ya’ll! I am glad you stuck with it Ella. It was great seeing you perform. Doubly so when you consider that you had to fight back both mentally and physically.
Thank you