The theatre department has raised its popularity in the community by performing popular shows and appealing to all audiences, but with great shows comes great cost. In order to keep up with costs, the theatre department raises money through a fundraiser called the Patron Drive.

The Patron Drive is centered around sponsorships and donations, but with donations there are benefits for the donors. There are certain levels for donations and each higher level gains more benefits such as vouchers for shows, season magnets, and recognition on the theatre website and programs.

On average royalties for shows cost around $2,000, that’s without factoring in costumes, scenery, lighting designs and equipment. With the small amount that the theatre department gains from the district they are left having to gain the majority of their money from the Patron Drive and ticket revenue.

“…outside of obviously tickets, we make a little on concessions, T-shirts, theatre garb, that kind of thing. We make just a little bit on ads in the program…,” Director Mark Swezey said,

Without the money from the drive each year, the department would be limited on the amount of shows they could perform and the quality of shows.

“It is incredibly important, without the patron drive we probably wouldn’t be able to do shows. We try to do big shows and the district gives us very, very little to work with, so the Patron Drive, since it really is our only fundraiser, is the only money that we get…” company manager Megan Berning said.

The Patron Drive is not only used in high school theatre, but is the professional Broadway revenue as well. The department bases their drive off of professionally run drives. They try to keep their department run professionally and by the students themselves in order to reiterate the idea of personal responsibility and work ethic.

“…we try to run out theatre as professionally as we can,” Berning said.

Upcoming shows for the theatre season are “Les Misérables,” “A Miracle on 34th Street,” “The Little Mermaid” and “Peter and the Starcatcher.”

Patron benefits start at a donation of $25 and level up from that amount. With a minimum donation you receive a magnet with the department’s season on it.

Without the Patron Drive the department’s shows would not be as diverse, popular and renowned. The department takes patron donations all year to help better the program.