High School Theater

Officer Manual for

Budget Cuts

By: Casey Cunningham

Table of Contents iii

Table of Contents
Contents
Table of Contents ........................................................................................................................... iii
Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... v
Chapter 1: The budget cut ............................................................................................................... 3
Overview ..................................................................................................................................... 3
Berkner High Schools Theater Department ........................................................................... 3
Chapter 2: How to Write Your Letter ........................................................................................... 11
Overview ................................................................................................................................... 11
Chapter 3: Presentation for the Board ........................................................................................... 19
................................................................................................................................................... 19
Overview ................................................................................................................................... 19
Chapter 4: Theaters Impact on Students ...................................................................................... 25
Overview ................................................................................................................................... 25
Exploring Berkners Students ................................................................................................... 25
Index ............................................................................................................................................. 29
References ..................................................................................................................................... 30


Introduction v

Introduction

The theater departments across America have been
suffering with budget cuts for many years. Berkner High School in
Richardson, Texas has recently been notified that they will be
receiving a budget cut in their funds. They were also told that
they needed to produce two more productions than they normally
do. Berkner barely had enough money to put on three
productions. When the students found out, they had no idea what
to do. I am providing this manual for the Berkner High school
theater officers. I brainstormed through the many options that
the theater department could take and narrowed it down to a few
tasks for the officers to pursue. The officers are the leaders of
this program and they should be the ones to take charge of
possible solutions to the budget cut.







The manual will explore on types of fundraisers that the
students can produce. The manual will also provide step by step
instructions on how to write a letter and present a presentation to
the administration board that made the budget cuts. It will also
explain actual stories of students at Berkner high school and how
theater has impacted their personal life. It will explain the
benefits of theater after high school as well. Although I am
vi High School Theater Officer Manual for Budget Cuts l
making this manual for Berkner, the manual can also be used for
officers at other high schools facing a budget cut. I know that this
manual is the key to what Berkner needs to do in order to have
funding.



Fly Ch 1
Chapter 1 3

Chapter 1: The budget cut









Overview

This chapter will cover the issue of budget cuts in a high school
theater department. It will highlight who should be in charge of
taking a stand against the budget cut, and what actions should be
taken to face the budget cut.

Berkner High Schools Theater Department


High schools across the United States are faced with an
option to make a budget cut in a department. Theater just
happens to be the department that is normally chosen. Berkner
high school is located in Richardson, Texas. They are one of high
schools across the United States that has been chosen for the
theater department to receive a budget cut. I will be focusing on
Berkners theater department and discussing the struggles that
they have faced from the budget cut these past few years.
4 High School Theater Officer Manual for Budget Cuts l

Berkner has a traditionally run theater program. Their
theater department is used to producing:
one fall play
one spring musical
4 student directed shows (each play being only 30 minutes)

The following year in 2012, the school district made it mandatory
for Berkner to produce additional plays that they did not recently
have to produce. The mandatory addition consisted of:

competing in the One Act Play competition
A Kindergarten show for kindergarteners from the entire
district to come and watch.

They were also faced with a budget cut in their department the
same year. The district is asking for Berkner to produce two more
shows than normal and on top of that they have a cut in their
budget funds.








Chapter 1 5

How will Berkner be able to perform two more plays with less
money in their budget? In order for Berkner to produce two more
shows they are going to need more money. They need more
money because putting on a show is incredibly expensive. In
order for a high school theater department to put on a production
there is many costly things needed for a show. In order to
perform a show you have:


Playwrights- these range from 500-2000 dollars
Props- depending on the play props can cost anywhere from
500-1000 dollars.
Costumes- If you rent costumes it will cost a significant
amount more than buying the costumes. A costume for rent
can cost up to 100 dollars per costume.
If the specific show calls for choreography, then youll have
to pay a choreographer to come in. Hiring a choreographer
can cost around 1000 dollars.
Have programs, tickets, and marketing posters made.
Printing can cost around 1000-1250 dollars.
A set which requires:
o
o Paint and paint brushes- a gallon of paint is at least 20
dollars per gallon. If you need 8 different colors then
applying multiple coats of paint then the paint can cost
around 160-250 dollars. Paint brushes are about 5
dollars a brush.
o Wood to make the set- wood can vary in prices.
Depending on how much wood you need, wood can
cost around 150 dollars for an average set.
6 High School Theater Officer Manual for Budget Cuts l
o Tools- tools can range in prices as well. If you choose
to buy a set of tools, it can cost around 250 dollars.
o Furniture- finding cheap furniture is the key to saving
money. A furniture set will cost around 1200 dollars.

There are many ways for students to stand up to the
budget cut. The students can put on fundraisers by:

Having a car wash near the school

Selling pizza and baked goods at school

Have a talent show

Making an auction

Selling cookie dough from a local company

Going to a local restaurant and see if they will donate
part of their proceeds on a specific day to the theater
department- usually restaurants will give around 10%
of their proceeds

A garage sale to get rid of the props and costumes
from other shows that they wont be using again. This
is a good way to get money back from props only
needed for one show.


The officers could be in charge of organizing everything.
The officers should be in charge because they are the ones that
the students look up to. The officers are also the students
Chapter 1 7

expected to take charge of organizing fundraisers. These are
many great ways to raise money for the theater.

They can put on many other fundraisers, but one of the
most effective ways to receive money is to stand up to the
budget cut by having the officers write a letter to the board of
administration in the school district. A letter can be very
persuasive to the board of administration. The theater officers
would be the main leaders of writing this letter. The process of
writing the letter would include these steps:

They could ask the students what they want for them
to include in the letter.

Brainstorm ideas of what to include in the letter

Then write the letter during an officer meeting after
school

Then read the letter to the class and see what they
would want to add or take away from it.

The officers then would show it to their director and see
if he or she approves.

The president and vice president of the theater officers
take it over to the board of administration office

deliver it to the head of the board personally



8 High School Theater Officer Manual for Budget Cuts l








A backup to writing a letter to the board would be presenting the
board of administrations a presentation ran by the officers and
director. The steps taken for the presentation include:


contacting the board to see when they could come in to
present their case

collaborating on creating a power point to present to
the board

perform a practice presentation and see what the class
likes and does not like

edit and present to the board


The two solutions provided are fantastic ways to deal with
the budget cuts in an effective way. The board will see how
professional and mature the students are and want to reconsider
making the budget cut.


Fly Ch 2
Chapter 2 11

Chapter 2: How to Write Your Letter














Overview
These steps will guide you on what to include in your letter
to the board of administration and how to write your letter.

While brainstorming ideas on what to write in your letter, here
are some helpful tips on what to include:
Think about your intended audience: who you are writing to
and why you are writing to them.

What specific goals are you trying to meet with writing the
letter?

Be sure to address the issue that your high school is facing.
Berkner is facing the problem of doing 2 additional shows
with a budget cut and would include the importance of
keeping the fund.

12 High School Theater Officer Manual for Budget Cuts l
List the materials needed in order to put on a production,
make sure to include the cost of the materials as well.

Not only should you include the costs of material but also
include how many long hours are put into rehearsals.

Include reasons on why theater is helpful not only during
high school, but for a life time. These important lessons
include:

How theater requires high school students to
pass their classes to be in shows

They also require students to not have more
than 7 absences from school, this helps
students to be a dependable worker later in
their career

How theater teaches you to perform in front
of an audience making it easier for you to do
tasks like run a meeting

Theater creates leaders: people who are not
afraid to be bold and take charge

The discipline taught from theater: being on
time to rehearsals

being a dependable cast member teaches
you to be dependable for your job

Job interviews come more natural to people
who have had theater experience since they
are more comfortable talking in a group of
people

Chapter 2 13

Theater helps boost students self-esteem by
highlighting the talents that they have



In your letter, be sure not to include:
Writing poorly of other organizations at your school. Theater
never teaches students to go to the extent of talking badly
of other organizations.

Too many personal stories about your high school. The head
of the board may think that you as a student have too much
of an emotional attachment to your theater and may not
grant you the funding you are hoping for.

Do not sound angry in your letter. If you are angry with the
head of the board then he will not be more willing to take
your side.

Do not provide a follow up date; only provide your contact
information for the head of the board if he or she has any
questions.







14 High School Theater Officer Manual for Budget Cuts l

The letter should not be any longer than a page with four
paragraphs. If the letter was any longer then you would lose the
readers attention more quickly. Here is a breakdown of the
paragraphs:



1. Introduce who you are and where you are from. This
paragraph should be a brief overview of what you are going
to be writing about. Also include what the issue is. The
reader will read this paragraph first which makes it the most
important paragraph for the letter.

2. The second paragraph should provide an explanation over
why youre asking for more money and why you think it is
necessary to have the theater budget. Also explain the
benefits that theater has on a student after high school.

3. This paragraph should highlight what the theater needs to
produce a show and how much the necessary materials cost.

4. In the last paragraph, wrap up a summary of your main goal
and provide contact information for the head of the board.








Chapter 2 15


If you follow these instructions on writing your letter, then
you will have a successful letter for the head of the board. The
key to the letter is to try to be convincing but not overly
passionate. A one page letter is the perfect amount of information
for the head of the board administration to read.


Fly Ch 3


Chapter 3: Presentation for the Board











Overview
This chapter will cover detailed instructions on how to create a
presentation for the board. It will go through what to do before
the presentation and following the presentation as well.

When creating the slideshow, make sure you highlight these
important factors:

Participation with the audience helps them to understand the
main point clearly and it helps them to be more interactive
during the presentation.

Reiterate the main point as much as possible

20 High School Theater Officer Manual for Budget Cuts l

Remember who you are speaking to: be professional with
what you choose to include in your power point.

The presentation for the board should consist of a 10-15
minute presentation. The slide show would consist of 8 to 10
slides. The slides would consist of:

1. Title slide including your names and high school

2. State the statistics proven of how theater helps
increase attendance and grades in high school

3. Provide an explanation of why your school needs to
keep the funds at the regular funding

4. Include a slide stating the cost to create a show

5. Interact with the board and ask them why they think
the theater budget should be cut

6. Conclude on how theater has influenced students in
their future careers

7. Allow for the board to ask questions they may have

8. End slide










Below is a list of rules that the officers should abide by
before, during, and after the presentation.

Prior to the presentation each officer will be assigned a power
point to talk about. The officers before the presentation will:
Done research on their slide and the overall slideshow

Be prepared to answer any questions from the board
members

Come dressed in business attire- it makes the officers look
more professional and the board will also take them
seriously.

During the presentation each officer should:
Make direct eye contact with the board

Have a pleasant look while not speaking

Stay after the presentation to answer any
questions the board members may have


After the presentation:
If the president or the director has not heard from the
board of administrations in about two weeks, either he
or she should send a follow up email regarding their
decision on the budget cut.
22 High School Theater Officer Manual for Budget Cuts l
Receiving feedback from the board will benefit the
officers so that they can know how successful or
unsuccessful the presentation was.


A presentation is an excellent approach to facing the budget
cut because it allows for the officers to have an interaction with
the board of administration. It also shows the board how mature
theater can make a student in high school.























Fly Ch 4







Chapter 4 25

Chapter 4: Theaters Impact on Students











Overview
This chapter will be exploring the stories of students at Berkner
High School and will explain how theater has impacted their
future. It will also cover the benefits that theater has on students.

Exploring Berkners Students
The students of Berkner High School have put in many long
and excruciating hours into theater. Theater has always been a
positive get away to a fantasy land for students. Theater helped
them to escape the stress from the day. If they ever were having
a bad day, they could always count on theater to cheer them up.
A girl named Alison Siverling depended on theater to cheer her up
constantly.

Alison was a junior at Berkner and was highly involved in the
theater program for all of her high school career. Alison had
developed a severe depression due to events going on at her
house. She said the only thing that would keep her going was
going to rehearsal every day. The play was over and Alison had
nothing to rely on for her happiness. She tried to commit suicide
26 High School Theater Officer Manual for Budget Cuts l
by overdosing on prescribed drugs. Alison recovered and realized
how much she had to live for. She had found a joy in performing
and through lessons learned in theater class. Alison is now a
freshman in college hoping to teach theater to high school
students. Alison wants to be a theater director because she was
very motivated by theater in high school and realized that theater
helped her through hard times. Alison has a bright future ahead
for her because of theater.








Another student, Sara Leonard is currently a senior at
Berkner High School and serves as the theater president. She has
chosen to dedicate herself to only theater in high school because
of how much joy theater brought to her. She received a call
during theater one day and discovered that her father had passed
away. She received this news two days before having to compete
in the One Act Play Competition. Sara decided to go ahead and
perform because she made an obligation to her cast and also to
herself. She ended up winning best actress out of the entire
competition. Sara has decided to major in theater next year and
hopes to keep performing theater for the rest of her life. Theater
taught Sara to fight through the toughest times and push herself
even when it seems impossible.



Chapter 4 27

Theater gives many perks to students.
Theater builds a higher self-esteem for
students. The encouragement and praise each
student receives from a performance helps the
student to feel more confident about them.


Being in a cast makes the student feel more
obligated to show up to rehearsals. This helps
students in the future by showing them how to
be committed to a task.


Having the basic skills for a monologue can also
relate to the basic skills for a job interview. For
a monologue you prepare what you are going to
say and how you are going to say it. For a job
interview, you do the same thing as well.


It teaches students how to work with others. In
your career you may be faced with tasks that
require you to work in a group. Theater is
constantly teaching you on how to work with
others.








28 High School Theater Officer Manual for Budget Cuts l
This manual is not guaranteed to work for the Berkner
theater program. The board could be very strict and instantly turn
down the case to keep the budgets. This manual is a way for
theater officers to get involved in the decision making of a budget
cut. This manual is simply in hope that it will work. It is very easy
to feel defeated when hearing that your school has received a
budget cut. The students can work together and fight the funding
cut.



Index

Index
Berkner Word,3, 4, 11, 21, 22, 23
Budget Cut Word, 3, 4, 5, 8, 11, 19, 23, 24
Letter Word, 7, 11, 12, 13, 14
Presentation Word, 7, 8, 17, 18, 19
























30 High School Theater Officer Manual for Budget Cuts l
References

http://www.aate.com/?page=effects
http://www.aact.org/people/playwright.html
http://www.wikihow.com/Produce-a-Play
http://www.ehow.com/facts_5816185_benefits-theatre-schools_.html