Fill the Stage

Daniel Dignan

Fill The Stage

“Character is Destiny”

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The Light Princess

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Losing her gravity, a princess floats in the air to the distress of her parents. She finds it great fun, laughing constantly, though she must be protected from floating away. Eventually, she discovers a lake, where she can swim freely and safely. One day, a prince finds her. Caring for her deeply, he does something kind that changes her life forever.

The Light Princess is a short, hilarious, witty, and, toward the end, serious book. The author tells a story about love and redemption that is both delightful and moving.

Phantastes

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Except for the Bible, Homer’s Odyssey, and a few others, Phantastes is the best book I’ve ever read. It’s a fairy-tale romance, full of myth, poetry, and allegory. The story is thrilling, unsettling, and thought-provoking. The main character finds himself in a fairy world full of beauty, strange encounters, danger, and both evil and good characters. What he learns is not what he or the reader expects.

C.S. Lewis read this story during his late teenage years, and it had a strong effect on his imagination. He regarded George MacDonald, the author, as his “master” in the art of story. Lewis’s introduction will help the reader understand what mythopoetry is and its value.

Lewis wrote: “…It arouses in us sensations we have never had before, never anticipated having, as though we had broken out of our normal mode of consciousness and ‘possessed joys not promised to our birth.’ …”

There are lessons in this story that a young person should consider carefully, including: what it means to really love someone, the sacredness of honest work, and the priceless value of wisdom and virtue. Some of the scenes, but really the entire sequence of events, are impossible to forget. I recommend this book to students in their late teens and to parents.

MacDonald, a Scot, published the book in 1858, just before the American Civil War.

Chuck Holton Introduces Leadership Institute

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War Correspondent and former Army Ranger Chuck Holton shares his vision and plans for a leadership institute in West Virginia for young men ages 13-17. The institute will help young students develop skills in the manly arts, gain job skills, build character and leadership, and live out their faith.

Field Leadership Course enrollment page: Frontier Forge.

Chuck Holton’s YouTube news channel.

The Wind in the Willows

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Mr. Rat, Mr. Mole, Mr. Badger, and Mr. Toad enjoy country life, boating on a river, friendship, home, and good conversation. However, Mr. Toad’s self-conceit and visions of grandeur interrupt the peace and tranquility. Failing to manage his estate and wasting resources on obsessions, his friends try to make him settle down. But they are thwarted by Toad’s indomitable spirit and desire for high adventure. Trials, tribulations, a divine encounter, a narrow escape, and a final tussle await.

This is a kind of retelling of Homer’s Odyssey, though the storyworld and plot are, I believe, unique. Readers experience the beauty and wonder of nature, the effect of good company, the importance of preparation, the value of wisdom, the peace and joy of purpose fulfilled, and so much more.

Lastly, the stop-motion animated films are quite good. Amazon hosts the film version of the book.

The Scarlet Pimpernel

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Daring adventures, sword-fighting encounters, dangerous villains, virtuous heroes, and stirring romance – all memorably packaged in the twists and turns of each page composing The Scarlet Pimpernel. With its thrilling plot, succinct chapters, and substantive character arcs, this short novel could spark a love of reading in any high schooler and deepen the passion for books in those seeking their next engaging story.

Nestled within the context of the French Revolution, the storyline follows an English hero who bravely saves French aristocrats from the ravenous guillotine. Yet, the plot adds complexity when this hero must weave in and out of evil men seeking to capture him, a family that misperceives his true identity, and a yearning to protect those closest to him, even as he feels betrayed by them. In addition, each chapter averages about nine pages (in my copy, at least), making this an excellent work to focus on, a chapter per sitting. So, if you’re looking for a thrilling plot that is a manageable amount of reading for a novel, The Scarlet Pimpernel will be a phenomenal purchase for your student’s library.

White House America 250

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In partnership with Hillsdale College and PragerU, the White House has been publishing videos that tell the story of America and videos of the signers of the Declaration of Independence.

Story of America playlist:

The Signers playlist:

I particularly enjoyed “The Shot Heard Round the World”: The Battles of Lexington and Concord.

I also enjoyed The Signer videos on John Witherspoon, Martha Washington, John Hancock, and Thomas Nelson, Jr.

Let me know what you think at info@fillthestage.com!

2026 Announcement

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I’m making some changes.

  1. MovingShip.com will be titled FillTheStage.com.
  2. FillTheStage.com will become FillTheStageMiddleSchool.com.
  3. FillTheStageHighSchool.com will remain the same.

FillTheStage communicates what I’m currently offering: Opportunities and experiences that help students grow in character, courage, and competence.

This year, I plan to continue publishing short articles on opportunities (generally once a week), offer book clubs (currently for middle school students), and post videos. The videos will show opportunities, including internships for high school students, and how to pursue them.

Happy New Year!

Daniel A. Dignan

P.S. – I enjoy hearing from parents! Please feel free to drop a line via info@fillthestage.com.

National Civics Bee

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If you have a son or daughter who is particularly interested in American civics, government, and history, consider this National Civics Bee competition. Sixth, seventh, and eighth-grade students have until February 3rd to submit an essay on a local opportunity or problem and how to address it. Winners are selected for regional, state, and national competitions, as well as cash prizes.

This guide explains the essay requirements and judging criteria. The essay is short, but it does require some thought because the judges are looking for real opportunities and solutions. Here is the application portal for submitting essays.

Students selected for higher competition undergo a civics test and further questioning about their essays.

Lastly, you can find more information and important dates for the competition in the Educator’s Guide.

God’s Big Picture

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The Bible contains 66 books that all contribute toward a single story. Just as reading the parts of a story is essential for understanding the whole, knowing the whole is necessary for understanding the parts.

Vaughn Roberts, pastor of St. Ebbe’s in Oxford, England, helps readers understand the Bible’s story and theme: the promised and coming kingdom of God. Roberts shows how God’s kingdom is progressively revealed through the Bible. And he provides a helpful definition of the kingdom of God as “God’s people in God’s place under God’s rule and blessing.”

Genesis (the Bible’s first book) reveals major events: God’s creation of the universe, the fall of man, and God’s promise to Abraham of a kingdom to come. The rest of the Old Testament reveals a partial fulfillment during the reign of King David and King Solomon, followed by a collapse when Babylon destroyed Jerusalem in 586 BC. But the New Testament, in the four gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, reveals the coming of the King who proclaimed his kingdom, died, and rose again to save all who believe in him. Promising to return again, he will reign over a perfected kingdom.

Well, so what? Knowing the Bible’s overarching story helps us understand the Bible’s books, God’s good news, and our own stories. In its light, we can understand what God wants us to know about his universe, what he has done, is doing, and will do, and how we should live.

Roberts quotes Psalm 95:3-7, which reveals that the Ultimate Being is both creator and King, and that man finds purpose and peace in devotion to Him.

“For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods. In his hand are the depths of the earth; the heights of the mountains are his also. The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land. Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker! For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand.”

If you read the book, let me know what interested you the most and why.