Wonder of wonders...

 Musical of musicals!  

It is that time of year again.  We are getting into production of the annual musical.  This year, we are offering up:

I know a lot of people may not know this one, but I think you are in for a treat!  We are having a blast learning the music and there are some exciting challenges to overcome from a tech standpoint.  So far, we are jammin' with some really good energy.  All in all, it's shaping up to be a really great performance.  

As we get into tech for the show, we run across a challenge that hasn't been an issue for several years: storage.  A year or so ago, the department lost the warehouse space it had been using to store a lot of our unique set pieces, platforms, and large props.  Cleveland County Schools allowed us to store what we could at Graham Elementary since it is no longer used for students.  Last semester, I got word that Cleveland County is taking over Graham and SHS Theatre's stuff would have to go.  We have stored what we can in the green room and shop.  It honestly takes me back to the days when you could walk from one end of the shop to the other without ever touching the ground because of all the stuff in there.  We are working on a solution that would be more permanent in the form of a shipping container or 53' trailer.  If anyone reading this knows of space that the department could use, I'm open to suggestions.  

In more hopeful news, we have finally received new followspots to replace the Selecon Pacifics that were purchased years ago.  We have upgraded to Lycian ZOT LED fixtures and are excited to put them to use! 

I am also working on a grant to upgrade the lighting system so we can use LED lights.  After that will be a proper (and correct) upgrade of the sound system.  

Stay theatrical, support the arts, and I hope to see all of you at the musical.

Dan

Booster Gets A Boost

Over the past few years, we have had dedicated parents keeping the Theatre Booster Club alive.  It has typically started strong but then whittled down to a few parents carrying the load.  In a bid to combat that, and in discussion with the rest of the arts teachers, we have combined the various existing or recently shut down booster clubs into the Performing Arts Boosters.  The idea is that many students who are involved with one art are also involved in another, so it makes sense to have parents be part of one booster group instead of several.  We all support each other, so why not have booster club that supports all the arts?  I'm sure many of you were, like me, involved in more than one area.  

With that in mind, I invite you to join the Performing Arts Booster Club.  The focus is making sure students are taken care of.  This means providing food for the band at football games and theatre on long tech week rehearsals.  It also means advocating for the arts in the community and helping build larger and stronger audiences.  This year already has noticeably more involvement than any previous year.  We have parents involved, parents who are alumni, parents of alumni, and alumni themselves.  I would like to build on the last two groups.  Please fill out the Interest Form if you want to step up and be part of the Performing Arts Booster Club.  

This Lion Doesn't Sleep

My name is Dan Treharne, and I am the current director of the theatre department.  I am a 1998 graduate of the program and am proud to call myself a Golden Lion Thespian.  I love reconnecting with SHS Theatre alumni from all years, so please let everyone know about this blog.  My intent is to keep it updated with everything that is going on with the department.  

First, a little about my recent history with the department and the bad news.  In late summer 2017, the position of Auditorium Manager came open, and I decided to come home and work to strengthen the program that I love.  I came on as Department Director after spending 13 years building a strong theatre department at Kings Mountain High School.  A few days later, the second theatre position at SHS came open, and we hired alumnus Cole Hamrick to help me rebuild.  We worked to re-establish the expectation of excellence that many alumni through the years remember from their days in Malcolm Brown Auditorium.  We weathered the COVID crisis and were able to keep cancelations to a minimum.   In the 2022 - 2023 school year, Cole was replaced by Rebecca Hougas, herself an alumna of the program.  At the end of that year, due to declining numbers across all the arts, the second theatre position was cut and Miss Hougas took over as the director of the Kings Mountain High School Theatre Department.  I have been leading the charge with some solid parent support since then.

Second, there is good news.  Since 2017, I have been able to make small upgrades to the main auditorium lighting and sound systems, and the Intimate Theater received a major overhaul of the lighting system. We have returned to hosting the High School Play Festival, and last year, we won the Outstanding Achievement in Ensemble Acting Award when we participated, a first for me as a director.   At the end of last year, we graduated over twenty seniors from the department, and this year we have already recruited several new students to the program.  On top of that, 2023-2024 was the best year, financially, since I started in 2017.  This year, I'm already working on a grants for the first major lighting system upgrade in the main auditorium since 2004.  

Stay tuned for updates and please support us by following on Facebook, Instagram, and the Theatre Department Website.