High school theatre season goes on thanks to Facebook alumni campaign

OVERLAND PARK, Kansas - It’s 7:30 in the evening. The school day has long since ended at Shawnee Mission South High School. Still, students in the Repertory Theatre Program are hard at work rehearsing "The Laramie Project."

"Page 50. Here we go! Here we go!" Teacher and Director Kelly Michale shouts to the cast from the foot of the stage. “We’re going to start at the top!”

The story of University of Wyoming student Matthew Shepard's 1998 murder carries a timely message, but the show almost didn't go on because of a lack of funding. Tough economic times threatened to leave the high school’s entire season in jeopardy. The rep program’s enrollment is down, leaving fewer students to raise money from a smaller pool of charitable dollars.

“Our original goal was $15,000 that we were trying to make,” explains Sarah Hines, a Senior and Business Crew Head. “To do our season at all, we had to do $10,000. And for the patron drive, we only raised $6,000."

With no money, there would be no props, costumes or sets and no scripts –
which they have to buy the rights to do.  Michale says buying the rights to shows is their largest expense.

"That alone costs, when you're doing a musical, can be over, thousands of dollars,” she says. “Plays are a little less.”

Desperate for help, Michale, herself a South alum, turned to Facebook. Enter Peter Spears from the Class of '84. The actor, writer and producer has fond memories of his days on South’s stage.

“There wasn't another high school program like it,” he said from his home in New York. “And to hear that it was going to be reduced down to just bare bones, or perhaps canceled, it was shocking. And then I felt if I could do something here to help, well then I'm going to try to help.”

Touched by their dilemma, Spears created a Facebook donation page and a grass roots fundraising effort took off $10, $50, $100 at a time. Within 12 hours, Spears had raised $2,000 – leaving Michale and her students overwhelmed.

“It's not just a little show to them,” Michale said. “It's their whole world, as it was mine.”

These students say they'll never forget the lessons learned off stage, as they prepare to share a timely message with the community on stage. “The Laramie Project” opens November 17. In the wake of eight recent suicides among gay teens and stories of bullying and intolerance, these young actors say the message is more important than ever.

“For us to have a show that can address that issue I think is fantastic,” Hines said. “To get to be a part of that and face the world and say ‘Hey, listen, that’s not right.’ I think is a great opportunity for us.”

And long after these students have moved on from Shawnee Mission South, they too plan to remember their roots.

“I want to be able to look back on it and appreciate why I did it and what I got out of it at the time,” said Senior Evan Goldt, the Set Crew Head. “I think that's something Peter Spears definitely has.”

Just this week, HBO, which produced a TV movie of “The Laramie Project,” learned of the school's dilemma. They responded to Spears call with a $5,000 donation.

Donations are still being accepted through the alumni Facebook page. Click here for more information .