Theatre Program Needs Fundraising Help at Forbush High
Shutdown forced cancellation of spring performance, but not the bills
EAST BEND-Putting together a high school play isn’t cheap. There are sets to build, music to find, promotional material to make and scripts to buy. Typically, theatre programs get the money back through ticket sales and fundraisers, but it’s hard to do either one during a pandemic. That’s the situation Forbush High currently finds itself in.
The Forbush Theatre Program had everything set up. Near the beginning of the year, the group decided to do “The Addams Family” as their spring performance and use the musical version.
“We created set pieces, built props and paid for a new soundbooth,” said Forbush theatre teacher Jamie Campbell. “At the time, we didn’t consider that it might have to be canceled.”
But unfortunately, that’s exactly what happened. Due to the COVID-19 virus, public school buildings were closed as districts switched to remote learning. In April, Cooper announced the buildings would remain closed for the rest of this semester. That meant no chance for an in-person performance, although the group looked for other options.
“We tried to do it online, we had online rehearsals and tried to get creative but it just didn’t work out,” Campbell said.
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Campbell said she also tried to figure out a time to do it this summer once restrictions get lifted, but that just didn’t work out. Now that businesses are opening back up, some students are applying for summer jobs, while others have transportation issues getting to school.
Having to Pay to Play
When a high school theatre department wants to do a play, they have to follow the same rules as professional companies. That means paying for both a temporary license to perform the play and buying the script. And those costs add up, with everyone from the author of the play to the composer of the music getting their share. Even though they had to cancel this year’s performance, Forbush wasn’t able to get all of that money back.
“We don’t get a free pass because we’re in education,” Campbell said. “We’ve had to pay everywhere from $2,000 to $3,500 before for royalties. Then you pay to rent the scripts. In this case, even though we formally canceled, we got some of our money back, but not all of it.”
While they’re sad about canceling the spring performance, the challenge facing Forbush involves the future. Ticket sales don’t just help cover the cost of expenses, they also give the department some ‘starter funding’ for next year’s group. Plus, the money already in their fund went to pay for this year’s production. In order to produce plays for the fall and next spring, Forbush needs some financial help.
In order to make that happen, Campbell set up a GoFundMe account, asking for contributions from the community. You can find that by clicking here. The goal is $5,000, which would cover costs for the fall and next spring’s productions.
“I’m hoping it will help us pay for supplies and royalties,” Campbell said.
If anyone wants to donate but doesn’t trust internet sites, they can also send a check to the Forbush High School Theatre Department, care of Jamie Campbell, at the school. The school’s address is 1525 Falcon Rd, East Bend, NC 27018.
Brian Carlton is the editor for NWNC Magazine. He can be reached at brian.carlton38@gmail.com.
