On Saturday, Allie Castner's friends will remember her with jugglers, with Irish step dancing and with song.
Mostly, recalling the 15-year-old Marblehead High School student who was killed in a car accident in August has involved tears and regret. But her friends from Marblehead, Swampscott, Salem and beyond have decided it might be time to celebrate a girl who had a profound effect on those around her.
A talent show designed to aid the Allie Castner Scholarship Fund will be held at Temple Emanu-El on Saturday at 7 p.m. Up to 500 are expected to attend the event (admission is $12 at the door), which was promoted by Allie's classmate and friend Ben Webber.
"She had so many friends," Ben said. "Everyone liked her. She was very popular at school." In fact, when word of the show went out, the reaction was "overwhelming. ... People came up to me and said, 'I want to help.'"
Jewish youth groups SMARTY and YAiSH first spearheaded the effort, but the show has been open and welcoming to the entire community.
Up to 30 kids are involved in mounting 18 acts — 35 auditioned. Performers will include the Jessica Prouty Band, an extraordinary singer named Rachel Garfield and Ben's own rock group, Orakular. In addition to the juggler and the dancing, one entry hopes to solve the riddle of the Rubik's Cube in record time, while another once played bass with cellist Yo-Yo Ma.
Originally, Rabbi Deborah Kassoff said, the plan was to present a simple talent show to aid a charity. It was meant as a matter of justice, or "tzedakah" in Hebrew, and the charity hadn't been chosen.
"The idea of a talent show was around for a couple of months," Ben said.
At first, no one could find a purpose for the show. Then, tragically, the purpose found them.
"After the accident with Allie Castner," Ben said, "we decided that would be our cause."
Darren Benedict, who coordinates youth activities at the temple, describes the efforts of the young performers and their support staff as "fantastic. ... I haven't had to do a great deal of work."
Grief swept the town following Castner's death. Her friends and classmates gathered spontaneously at the Pleasant Street site where she died, comforting one another. Young people, Kassoff said, "go through a lot more than we think." For some, this might have been their first real experience with death.
"Kids are remarkably resilient," the rabbi said. "Across the board, the students I have been working with are doing well. They miss their friend. And they struggle with questions that have no answers — as we all do."
"The accident was a huge wake-up call," Ben said. "And the fact that it was Allie."
The event is a positive step, Kassoff stresses. "This is going to be a terrific show. ... I'm so proud of the kids." It will be a celebration of Allie's life, she believes.
"They're doing what they can to make sure that Allie is not forgotten," Benedict said.
Jewelry and baked goods will also be offered for sale as part of the fundraiser. For ticket information, e-mail smarty@emanu-el.org.
