Students who attend my school largely consist of academically high achievers. Their families put great importance on the core classes, but are not as supportive of involvement in the arts. A majority of students come from Vietnamese households where math, science, and business are the central focus. More than half of my students come from households where English is a second language, if spoken at all.
Students who wish to continue studying Drama and the arts must be fiercely passionate in order to withstand disapproval from family and friends.
My Project
Our theater needs updated lighting for a small performance space. Over the summer, our theater will be demolished and it will take 1-2 years to rebuild it. In the meantime, I will be creating a Black Box Theater on campus. Unfortunately, there is no budget to create this performance venue and most of the technology cannot be transferred to a new space. Two thirds of our lights in the current theater do not work and most of them have not been replaced since the 1980's. Most theaters are replacing all older, Halogen lights with newer LED lights. These lights are safer, more sustainable, and provide a wider variety of color options for performances.
With this new LED lighting, students will be able to safely interact with modern technology used in performance venues.
It is important that we also acquire the proper accessories with these lights to ensure they can be used to their full potential. This includes a DMX light board to control the lights, lighting stands, safety cables, and plastic clamps.
With these materials, my students will be able to put on multiple performances in a variety of venues on campus, including the Black Box Theater I am creating, to support our Drama program for many years to come. With this safe, portable LED lighting, we can put on performances all around our campus and community.
More than half of students from low‑income households
Data about students' economic need comes from the National Center for Education Statistics, via our partners at MDR Education. Learn more
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