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Help, Auntie Em! Cast Needs $6,000 to Fly to Oz in School Play
Filed under: In The News
Would flightless flying monkeys be less terrifying? Credit: MGM Studios
You see, the drama department at Des Moines, Iowa's North High School needs $6,000 to rent flying equipment for its spring play, giving the three-day production's flying monkeys the ability to flap their wings, allowing Toto and Dorothy to travel by tornado to the Emerald City and letting the Wicked Witch of the West scoot around on her broom.
Normally, budgets for the school's spring theater productions rely on ticket sales to pay for costumes, construction and royalties, the Des Moines Register reports, but that doesn't include the money needed for the professional flying equipment that covers rental fees, transportation and a week to work with technicians.
"When you go to 'The Wizard of Oz' you expect certain things," Mark Rixner, the show's director and the school's drama producer, tells the newspaper. "It adds a special flair to the show."
With a deadline of March 26, the students are hoping a yellow brick path will lead the way to raising the money. According to a letter sent with the school's February and March newsletter to parents, school alumni, staff, friends and drama families, the drama department is charting its progress on a board in the front lobby of the high school.
The letter says more than 250 bricks are "drawn onto a placard and for every $25 that comes in for this project, we will color it in gold to put this show one step closer on the yellow brick road to becoming a reality." Donors of $150 or more will have their "name placed into the armrest" of the school auditorium's new seats.
Some of the cast and crew see it as an experience to take with them as they work towards careers in theater.
"Just being able to learn about how to use the equipment and how to fly people, that will really help," Megan Hanson, the production's stage manager, tells the Register.
Related: 'Wizard of Oz' Ruby Slipper Collection Makes London Debut
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ReaderComments (Page 1 of 3)
3-03-2010 @ 2:34PM
Elizabeth said...Wow, they need $6000 dollars just to rent ZFX equipment? I'm sorry, I could put on two plays for that much. Obviously their drama teacher isn't that creative if he can't see performing the play without rigging. I've seen that show produced many, many times without the use of flying equipment and it was awesome. I'm not saying that they don't deserve the money, but the fact of the matter is that in the real world there are budgets and no parents or alumni and if you don't have the money for something, you have to find an alternative way of doing things. It seems to me that that would be a better lesson for these kids than "if you don't have something, beg until you get what you want." Just a thought. Break a leg.
Reply
3-03-2010 @ 4:21PM
Ken said...I agree Elizabeth ..... Make with what you have ...... " Lets raise $ 6,000.00 to have flying Monkeys, But have the school cut costs on other things because the school district is hurting " Doesnt make sense to me ..... But thats just my thoughts ....
3-03-2010 @ 5:19PM
Myrrh said...Having worked in the theater industry, IN AN EDUCATIONAL institution, I can tell you that his is a great price for what they would get. Scenery and costumes aside, the cost of this production (OZ) is based on the need for safety, not glitz. Think of it this way. What is it worth to the parents of the flying actors, to insure that their child will not be dropped on their head, have a back snapped, have someone else's child dropped on theirs, etc. What cost your child's life and safety?
Flying is very dangerous, and needs precise attentive operation to be safe.
3-03-2010 @ 8:40PM
Aly said...I work on setbuilding and tech for my school theatre program, and though we've never to my knowledge used flying equipment, sometimes it's nice to be extravagant. We're paying the thousand dollars to rent the set of plant puppets for little shop of horrors this year, and build two floor sets for our musicals, and there's nothing wrong with that. we reuse almost all of our building materials over and over again in order to cut costs, and learn how to make do with very little during our straight plays, when our sets are more minimalist suggestive though still professional.
ken says that schools are cutting costs on "other things," but he seems to fail to recognize the fact that before athletics and academics go, arts programs are the parakeet in the coal mine as far as budgets are concerned. they get cut first.
no, there arent parents and alumni in the real world.
they're called patrons and benefactors, and they are a theatre company's best friends.
3-03-2010 @ 4:25PM
Dave said...Could have picked a play that did not contain flying monkeys.
Buy the flying gear and put on Peter Pan next year. Every time you use it it reduces the cost of the equipment per production.
I see new seats were a priority. Money spent is money spent.
Reply
3-03-2010 @ 9:19PM
sweatpea444 said...in the article is says that $6,000 is the rental price
3-03-2010 @ 5:02PM
Jess said...We put that play on my Senior year of High School, and we didn't need to rent any expensive machines to produce the play. It still turned out wonderfully....
Reply
3-03-2010 @ 4:27PM
Julia Frankenfield said...I agree with Elizabeth. In the current situation I think the teacher could find a way to put it together without spending $6,000.00. There are many other things more important needed in that ISD, I'm sure. Besides when we were kids we just raised our arms and let our imagination to do rest.
Reply
3-03-2010 @ 4:29PM
Jennifer said...Give me a break. They aren't doing a Hollywood production. The monkeys can flap their wings and run around the stage and pretend they are flying. Kids just don't know how to use the imagination and they all think that money grows on trees....oh that term requires some imagination....NOT.
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3-03-2010 @ 4:49PM
UBCool said...Ask Obama for $6,000, the government is full of them.
Reply
3-03-2010 @ 7:18PM
Caroline said...I can NOT stop laughing at your post! Too funny!!
3-03-2010 @ 6:13PM
caitengl said...Shouldn't they have thought of that when they chose a play?
Reply
3-03-2010 @ 6:22PM
colette301 said...WTF is going on in schools today? Who NEEDS a $6000 machine to help kids fly in a school play?
Reminds me of this story about a school who wanted to provide Ipods to parents.
www.baynews9.com/content/36/2010/2/11/582040.html
*shakes head*
Reply
3-03-2010 @ 6:50PM
Jan said...Sorry, in this economy they really should have picked a play that was within their budget, instead of begging for money. Many schools don't even have theatre programs anymore. And really, if I have extra money lately it's going to food banks, animal rescues, or Haiti Relief funds. Not flying monkeys.
Reply
3-03-2010 @ 7:44PM
NIcoleNonsense19 said...I am a student at North and apart of the show doing the tech work. We are not begging for the money we are just asking for the community to support us and our programs people from our area gladly donate money to our sports teams but very few will to the performing arts which is something that our school is very good at we are asking for 25 dollar donations we aren't expecting one person to donate a ton of money. People are attacking us for wanting to make this show the very best we can and the best means that we have a flying system then we will try to get it. It isn't that we cant do the show with out it is that we would love to do it. It would be a great way to end my year at North as a senior. The flying system would just add to our show it wouldn't be the show.
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3-03-2010 @ 9:20PM
sweatpea444 said...fly by foy will do it for around 3 thousand
http://www.flybyfoy.com/services_c.htm#Oz
break a leg!
3-03-2010 @ 9:52PM
Frdmringstrue said...All Americans, need to live within their means!
3-03-2010 @ 10:58PM
colleen said...Nicolenonsense....please use punctuation in your post and make your school proud!
3-03-2010 @ 7:51PM
judiandsteveg said...why dont they just "act" like they are flying?
Reply
3-03-2010 @ 8:00PM
NHSCheer91 said...We aren't begging for money. We aren't really asking the main reason we want this is because, well to be honest our school kind of sucks in everything except theater. Sure you people may feel its a safety hazard but its really not. We try so hard to get stuff and never can because of our area of town. I am a senior as is most of the cast and tech crew. Mr. Rixner is only trying to give us an opportunity to make our plays the best in the district. People who won't spring $25 maximum to allow some students to have their last opportunity then that is just disappointing as one of those students! I suppose we shouldn't count on money when our school floods once again. The third time since 1993. I guess as students we have to learn that sometimes people are too busy criticizing to care about children’s dreams.
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