Maplewood, New Jersey – Columbia High School presents a new documentary, The Healing: Arts in a Time of Covid. This film spotlights the pandemic’s impact on high school theater and music programs in New Jersey.

The Healing follows students and teachers as they navigate the uncertainties of the COVID-19 pandemic. The story begins on the day the school musical was canceled in 2020.  The film follows the students through two years of turmoil, isolation, and determination. 

“It’s about not just surviving,” says executive producer James Manno, “it’s about moving from surviving to thriving,”  Manno is the Director of Fine Arts in the South Orange/Maplewood School District.

The Healing was directed by local filmmaker Sean McCourt, who is no stranger to the arts. McCourt is a former Broadway actor, with credits such as Wicked, Mary Poppins, and Titanic. For the past ten years, he
has been a television showrunner on Discovery, Nat Geo, and Fox.

McCourt collaborated with film and music students at the high school. With students in front of and behind the camera, the film contains an intimately personal look at the next generation of artists.

“This film is shot by students, scored by students, and told by students,” says McCourt. “We worked on this together for nearly a year. It’s a raw and very real reminder of what they went through and
how they found their way back.”


James Manno jmanno@somsd.k12.nj.edu

Sean McCourt seanmccourt33@gmail.com
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