During the design phase of the now-complete new high school in Westmoreland County, one of the top items on the wish list of people that had closely followed the whole affair was an auditorium. People were willing to pack the George D. English Building practically solid several years ago for a meeting and outright threaten to vote the Board of Supervisors out of office if an auditorium was not part of the new building from the get-go. To their delight, the auditorium stayed in the plans and eventually rose with the rest of the new high school.
As a result of having a proper auditorium to work with, Ms. Hooks brought the school division’s drama program back to life, putting on a production of Robin Hood back in April. At the May School Board meeting, she and several of her students made a presentation on what they had achieved.
“We would like to thank everyone that attended our public performance back in April,” one of the students stated. “It was well-received, and we had a rather large audience for our first performance.”
“We are so excited to have a brand-new auditorium in which to perform and build the program among all four schools,” another chimed. “We hope to continue to present a spring play each year and help build the program by encouraging more and more students to get involved.”
“The arts are so important,” yet another one added. “Not only do they provide an after-school opportunity for kids who may not be interested in athletics or competitive academics, but they also build a sense of community and develop creativity.”
After performing one of the scenes from their play, Ms. Hook, the program’s director, addressed the superintendent, Dr. Michael Perry and the Board.
“I’m really excited to be working with the kids,” she stated. “I know they haven’t had theater for a few years, and it’s nice to have our brand new auditorium and start building the program again. It’s a great group of kids, and we’re going to start adding more.
“I want this to be a whole family,” she concluded. “I’m enjoying them a lot, so let’s build up the program together.”
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