The Deacon's Bench
From Vanity Fair:
On Oscar night, I’ll join a well-heeled crowd to walk the red carpet in a pink chiffon column dress with spaghetti straps, smiling graciously as cameras flash. Only the dress is my old prom dress, the carpet will be rented, and I’ll be spending the evening at St. Francis High School, the real-life inspiration for the all-girls Catholic academy in Lady Bird.
The party was organized in honor of Gerwig, St. Francis class of 2002. To say the school is proud of her accomplishment is a vast understatement: the first thing visitors see when they walk into its administrative office is a Lady Bird poster—prominently displayed beneath a crucifix and a photo of the pope. In a recent email, Gerwig said that she texts regularly with her high school’s president, Theresa Rodgers, who alerts Gerwig when students offer her name in prayer.
Gerwig herself, of course, will be otherwise engaged on March 4—but the party will feature a cardboard cutout of the best-director nominee posing for photos, says MaryAnne Kelly, director of advancement at St. Francis. Her team is also working with the arts department and patrons to put together a video compilation of Gerwig’s time in high school, specifically highlights from her roles in theater productions like The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and The Apple Tree. They’ll also play the Academy Awards telecast live in the gymnasium, on four or five big screens; the school rented a state-of-the art audio system and lighting scheme for the occasion. They expect 350 guests. The mayor is invited.
“It’s going to be uniquely St. Francis, uniquely Sacramento,” says Kelly. “The atmosphere will be spectacular,” something befitting Gerwig’s ode to her community.
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