Theater at Tomball High School has been around since 1969, when they performed their first show, Little Shop of Horrors, as Tomball Stage. Since then, the theater department has been operating without school funding for the past 56 years. This has led Tomball Stage to create fundraisers and group projects to generate revenue for putting on shows.
This year, the Tomball Stage has put on the productions of Six: The Musical and Happy Potter and the Cursed Child. Throughout this year, Tomball Stage has had to spend thousands of dollars to buy costume pieces, tools, props, makeup, food, and wood for sets to make the stage come to life, and with no funding from the school, it’s been hard to make our money back on shows, with most productions going over budget.Â
Tomball Stage holds annual fundraisers to raise money for productions. In all the years of Tomball Stage, the winter fundraiser is the most popular, as it affects how much money can be spent next year. The fundraiser includes GoFundMe, which allows students to go out and send donation links to their parents and friends.Â
Looking ahead for the rest of this year, Tomball Stage is starting to rehearse for their new UIL play, and with no funding, they are hoping to go far in the playoffs. Also, the production of Night Of Scenes is starting next year, around February, with first-year students being able to perform. Hopefully, the organization will have enough money to cover the cost.Â
So what can you do to help? Make sure to donate to all fundraisers at Tomball Stage and also show up to productions so the departments can recoup their costs.
For Tomball ISD, let’s show more support for our theater departments, as they are also a part of the fine arts department. How about some donations from the board? Only time will tell.
