LEDGER — Season sponsors of the Mitchell County Schools Performing Arts helped the department grow exponentially throughout the 2019-20 academic year, said Mitchell County Schools theater instructor Chelsea Thayer.
Thayer recently sent a letter to each season sponsor thanking them for their contributions and listing what was accomplished throughout the school year using sponsorship funds.
During the summer of 2019, 16 students attended Broadway Bootcamp with six of them attending on full scholarships, Thayer said. The Mitchell High Drama Club performed at the Mitchell County State of the Child event this past September and volunteered at the annual Rural Education Partners Halloween party just a month later.
The Mitchell High drama department more than doubled in size over the past year and sponsorship funds also helped fund performances of The Emperor’s Clothes, Charlie Brown’s Christmas and Annie Kids.
This past February, 11 new local youth performers were inducted into the International Thespian Society marking the largest class of new member’s in Mitchell’s history.
The department also added five new platforms, three sets of stairs and two periaktoi. More than 75 students were fully costumed across four productions during the academic year.
The cast of Chicago: The High School Edition was ready to perform before the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Thayer said. The cast still hopes to perform for a limited audience along with a livestream option later this summer.
“Mitchell County Schools Performing Arts grew tremendously this year,” Thayer said. “Though the year has not concluded as we hoped or expected, these gifts provided K-12 students a safe space to imagine, grow and hone their theatrical skills. We can’t wait to get back into the theater and continue this valuable work.”
Thayer said she may consider offering outdoor theater next school year in an effort to allow the arts to continue through pandemic restrictions.
“It’s similar to what would have been done in traditional Greek theater or during Shakespearean times,” she said. “Though our circumstances this year will be unique, theater will continue to adapt to meet the needs of these challenging times.”
Any businesses or individuals interested in supporting the department for the 2020-21 academic year can contact Thayer at cthayer@mhslive.net.