Story by Kaytlen Parker

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As the curtain opens on a school year like no other, many students and faculty members find themselves anxiously waiting to see what the future of this year holds. So much is still unknown, but what we do know is distance learning is dominating all of our classes right now. For some people, this isn’t a very challenging prospect to adapt to, but for the hundreds of students involved in the fine arts, distance learning is a momentous change. Theater in particular is an organization that has been hit hard by this new way of learning. How can a class that relies so heavily on in-person rehearsals and performances continue through a zoom call? For senior theatre member Sara Scheidt, it is all about staying connected.

Scheidt has been a part of the theatre department since her freshman year but says she was first introduced to theatre in middle school. She is also the current theatre fundraising representative.

Other than being a theater representative, Scheidt is also a member of “Ninth Period Theatre,” also referred to as Drama Club, and has been working hard to keep the program running in a safe, but enjoyable way.

“Due to the fact that we can’t have in-person meetings, we have been hosting 9th Period Theatre meetings over zoom,” Scheidt said. “This helps us ensure our program remains successful and our members stay involved.”

While Drama Club and the regular theatre classes have been going well via distance learning, Scheidt and many other students still have concerns about whether or not they will be able to perform shows this year.

“We hope to be able to produce shows this school year, but safety will always be our first priority,” Schiedt said.

Of course, theatre isn’t the only organization that is struggling with finding normality during this pandemic; The entire fine arts department, as well as many other organizations, are having to rethink everything they have previously done in order to adapt and adjust. Scheidt doesn’t think it’s all bad, however.

“Covid has impacted us in a way that allows us to embrace our creative side,” Scheidt said. “We can come together and come up with creative ways to stay connected and have a successful year.”