The Mike and Duane Show. It may ring bells for some, but for others this might be as foreign a topic as any, leaving those out of the know confused on how a recurring MX at Parker could touch so many lives and disappear so fast. The Mike and Duane Show was a variety show, put on entirely by the teachers (and sometimes with the help of seniors) and was worked on from January to May, running from 2004-2015. It featured musical numbers, filmed bits, live sketches, and more, all showcased every year leaving students itching with excitement and hope when the end of the year began to roll around. The show brought a lot more fun to Morning Ex and broke the repetitiveness of presentations and speakers to bring an entertaining experience to the Parker community at the end of a long year.
According to one half of the Mike and Duane show, former counselor Duane Freeman, the show came to life because “[he] had a vision of random teachers on stage dancing, laughing, and singing their heart[s] out to their adoring ‘fans’ or their students.” But the show didn’t just start with a vision: that came later. “Mike and I already had a show we were performing at night outside of Parker. Since we didn’t make any money from this show, we both took jobs at Parker to eat and pay rent, and then finally one day the Morning Ex committee was super short for Morning Ex programming and begged us to perform,” said Freeman. It took two like-minded, creative people to see this vision through. “I just listened to my heart and made this dream come to life.”
The show made an impact on the community. It brought people together – for teachers, working together on a show to put up for the school – and for students to laugh with the teachers singing and dancing, enjoying them putting on a show they worked so hard for. It was a community endeavor. “It’s still something that I have such fond memories of and talk about with teachers, administration, parents, and old students.”
The Mike and Duane Show was a significant part of the school year. With the lack of a community-building event like this, it’s hard to bring the Parker community together, judgment-free, willing to have a good time. Freeman thinks something like The Mike and Duane Show could and should come back, but thinks it should start small. “I think people remember the big productions at the end, but that was ten years in, and remember it was a random Morning Ex filler that only got a few laughs to start off … By the end it should have just been called the Parker Show because it was truly a whole community process. I would just start with a fun idea that would be a fun experience and not worry too much if it gets bigger,” Freeman said.
The Mike and Duane Show was a time to come together and laugh. Freeman had the right idea, building something as a community, fostering that community process, and having fun with it can always bring us together. It doesn’t always need to be something so grand and ambitious to be something good. For the Parker community to get over ourselves once in a while, to lift each other up, and to have a good time doesn’t need to be an unachievable asset. It’s something capable of doing, and something that can have a real positive impact on this community. The Mike and Duane Show may be gone, but that doesn’t mean its message has to disappear with it. Or, maybe not – “Don’t you dare try to do another show, or I will come watch the show and heckle the whole time!!! You’ve been warned!” Freeman said.
