 |
||
History of the Floyd Central High School Theatre Department By Chris Bundy The FCHS Theatre Department is proud to have such a rich history of excellence in the arts. With a diverse program in the arts, FCHS Theatre is among the best in the nation when it comes to quality performanes coupled with a strong emphasis on educational opportunities for our students and the community at large. The history of our department is one of tradition and a lot of hard work. With our current state-of-the art facility it is hard to imagine those early days when shows were staged on platforms set up and taken down daily in the school's cafeteria. But even though the original shows lacked the luxury of today's theatre facilities, the seeds for the future success of the department were certainly sewn within those humble beginnings. Past directors of FCHS Theatre include Tom Weatherston who directed shows from 1968-1975 and supplied an amazing amount of memories to the thousands of alumni who were fortunate enough to have worked with him. Phil Harstine took the reins of director for the 1976-1977 year. Glenn Edward's commitment to excellence then propelled the theatre to state and international recognition from 1977-1995. Next was Rita Hight who led the theatre through the 1995-1996 season. Finally, I became the current director, taking over as Director of Theatre Arts in 1996, and have had the fortune to direct students who have led the department to further international status with performances throughout the country and world. Under the direction of Karen Merrill, our costume department grew from a "make-do" operation to a fully functioning wardrobe department that now numbers thousands of costumes in stock that are literally shipped to school, community and professional theatres throughout the country. Along with a past staff that included Sue Clark, Susie Ems, Janet Slaughter and a tremendous volunteer force, our wardrobe department manufactured as many as five hundred outfits a season. Currently, Vicki Hays capably heads up our busy and valuable wardrobe operation. FCHS Theatre is a proud member of the International Thespian Society, a division of The Educational Theatre Association, which recognizes excellence in educational theatre. The department has represented our school by performing at numberous International Thespian Festivals. Some of these shows include Diviners, Crimes of the Heart, 42nd Street, Equinox, Children of Eden, Once on this Island, Titanic the Musical along with joint New Albany/Floyd Central productions of Grease and The Boyfriend. FCHS has also performed twice at the International "Fringe Festival" in Edinburgh, Scotland. First in 2001 with Once on this Island and in 2004 with an original play, Burke and Hare. We are quite proud of our performing arts center, which opened in 1982, and cherish the memories that have been made before, and since, it's construction. More than 100 productions have been staged in the center, but countless memories remain. We are confident that our future will remain as bright as our past as we continue to do our best in bringing quality education and theatre to our students and our community. |
||
 |
||