...and so it goes....

Seven years ago, the theatre department was given a permanent home within the school. We have seen major improvement in the quality of shows as well as state-wide recognition of our program. The renovation of a chorus room into a studio theater has a lot to do with that. The construction did come with a price for the music department. Unfortunately, they lost a great deal of space to make way for the theater. The music department was promised a small building off the band room. To date, that building has not been constructed and along with costumes from the theatre department, the band uniforms and music files were transported down to room 100. (ironically, the old drama classroom) where they stayed until about two years ago. The uniforms were moved back down to the band room to make room for chairs and tables for the high school. The music files have remained in room 100 as have the costumes. The theatre department moved costumes from an upstairs closet to room 100 as well to make room for the corporation as well. In this time frame, the state fire marshal explained that all of the theatre department large props and set pieces, wood for set construction, and the like needed to be removed because of fire code laws. The theatre department went through all things and kept the items that were felt to be useful (or in some cases impossible to replace) for future productions and disposed of the rest. The department kept the items in room 100 as there was nowhere else to store them.

Somewhere along the way, the school corporation decided that high students assigned to in-school suspension and Day Reporting would be in housed in a section of room 100. A wall was built and study areas were put into place for those students. The high number of students assigned to this area made it necessary for the ISS supervisor to put some of the students in the area assigned to the theatre and music departments (now also a storage area for chairs and tables for the high school). This has contributed to the theatre department losing costume pieces as well as having items damaged. We have been through the costumes at least twice every year for the past three years to inspect costumes and rid ourselves of items that no longer are in show worthy shape.

Nearly four years ago, our superintendent attempted to get the school corporation behind a new building project that would have given our theater department a new home in the construction of an auditorium. Unfortunately, members of the community, were opposed to such a project and it was eventually rejected by the school board. A lot of what both the theatre and music department is going through could have been avoided had construction taken place, but that issue is in the past.

In the past year, it was expressed to both the theatre and music departments, that the ISS area in room 100 would be expanded and we were to look into ways to move costumes and the choral music files to another area. The theatre department once again went through costumes on more than two occasions to make cuts to our inventory and disposed of more costumes.

The administration is now pushing the theatre and music departments to make a decision on where to put these items without offering any solutions. Both departments have little to no storage. It has been suggested that items need to be thrown away. The theatre department has suggested that an out building be constructed to house the costumes as long as it is secure and climate controlled so that our costumes will not deteriorate any further. The theatre department would be willing to share space with the music department in a building.

I suggest that if the administration really wants the room, then should provide a climate controlled building that we can house our costumes and set pieces as well as the choral music files. If the administration is willing to do so, then the theatre department would be more than willing to give up the space for the students assigned to ISS and Day Reporting.