I resurrected our after school drama club, so that students who may not have any interest in sports would have an outlet to express themselves creatively through drama. There is a dismal little room under the stage of our old auditorium that the students plan to turn into an inviting "green room."
My students in the after school drama club are a mixture of high school and eighth grade students.
With nearly 75% of our students on free/reduced lunch, our county is clearly an economically distressed county. Of course, there is no money available for dramatic arts. The old auditorium where my students perform has a small room under the stage, where performers must go to dress and put on their makeup. It is a dreary, uninviting room. The students have been awarded a small sum of money to transform that room into an inviting, exciting "green room," where our drama club members, as well as visiting performers, can dress or relax before going up onto the stage to perform. With the purchase of wall paint, rollers, makeup lights, and mirrors, we have exhausted the donation. We still need several things, such as acrylic paint and brushes for a couple of murals we will paint on the walls, in order to complete the project. It is my hope that Donors Choose can help my students.
My Project
On one wall, centered over the vanity mirrors, my students plan to paint the "comedy and tragedy" masks. In a small private dressing room, they will paint the winter woods and lamp post of Narnia, from The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.
This project will give my students a great sense of accomplishment, as well as a sense of civic pride for this contribution to our community (the auditorium is considered a community building). The students will learn that where there is a dream and a vision, there is way to turn it into reality, and that there are good people out there who support their efforts. They will be able to return to the auditorium years from now, walk downstairs, to the green room under the stage, and see again the difference they made.
The "green room" project is a project my students have dreamed of for a very long time.
In a poor county such as ours, disappointment and hopelessness are prevalent. They watch as athletics get financial help, while their drama club has no such funding. They feel less important. This project will make them realize that their interests and talents are just as important as the interests and talents of our athletes. It will show them what can happen with enough tenacity and faith.
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As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. This classroom request for funding was created by Mrs. Choate and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.