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Eyeballs, guts, brains support school theater program

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RONAN – Drama students at Ronan High School are working on a scary project for Halloween to help fund their program.

Drama teacher Jessica Davis wanted to develop a haunted house with her students, so when the theater arts budget was cut in half this year, due to the school’s funding shortage, she saw it as an opportunity to get a scary set-up going.

“We need to raise money for the Ronan Drama Department so we can get costumes and props to put on plays,” she said. “If we don’t raise the money, we will have to make cuts.” 

In order to put on a play for the pubic, she has to pay for the performance rights held by a publishing house. It can cost as much as $700 for a well-known play. She could find a cheaper play, but the seats don’t seem to fill up when she does. She said a full audience means the community came together and it’s a positive experience for the students. “When people recognize a play, they are more likely to attend and that’s better for everyone,” she said. 

Davis said her budget goes towards costumes and set pieces. She also likes to provide pizza and sandwiches for the students after a show. If she doesn’t add to the budget with the haunted house project, those extras will have to go. 

One of the upcoming plays students will perform is called “Aunt Maggity’s Dark and Stormy Night.” The play is about a woman who raises maggots and it opens on Nov. 9. Students are also planning a musical called “Once Upon a Mattress.”

Davis hopes to bring in at least $600 during the two night haunted house to pay for those upcoming shows. Students are putting together the spooky event by covering the walls in three schoolrooms with black and bringing in scary props and lighting. 

Ysabelle Burland, 18, tore open a black trash bag to cover part of one of the walls. She said she is hoping to help raise enough funds through the haunted house to purchase more costumes for the plays. 

“This is a great program,” Burland said. “We learn a lot of things like the history of plays and why they happen.”

Seth Cheff, 17, peeled off a piece of Duct tape while holding up a black section of wall covering. “We are also doing this for the community to get together and have fun,” he said. 

Natalie Workman, 15, was figuring out how to make the lighting a bit scarier in one of the rooms. She said theater gives her the creative outlet she needs. “You get to express your ideas,” she said. 

Each room of the haunted house has a different spooky setting. A few headless bodies were created and set up in the central room. Students discussed the possibility of a zombie in the bathroom, and noted that one of the rooms would, for sure, contain corn stalks and a moon. 

Two versions of the haunted house are planned. The first one goes on earlier in the night for young children. They get to stick their hands in “brains, guts, and eyeballs” and play a few games for some prizes. 

Later in the evening, the scary stuff comes out for those who can handle it.  D’Artagnan Dominguez, 15, said people should be prepared for “a jump and a scare” but only for the older kids.

The haunted house opens on Oct. 27 and 30 at the Ronan Performing Arts Center. Signs will be up to direct the way. The kid-friendly version is from 6-7 p.m. The spooky haunted house is from 8-10 p.m. Admission is $3 per person. 

Students involved in the project include: Trevor Blackburn, Morgan Brooks, Ysabelle Burland, Seth Cheff, D’Artagnan Dominguez, Alex Frank, Jaylyn Hakes, Tatumn Hockema, Rose Santos, Jordon Skelton, Aurrora Watkins, Katherine Workman and Natalie Workman.

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