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.