Covid has really restricted many activities this year, making it really hard for student’s to actually express themselves and make their mark. But there’s a small light at the end of the tunnel. With things, slowly, going back to normal, sports are slowly opening back up and allowing kids to take part in the things they love. But what about the other activities that don’t involve sports? Is there hope for other activities? Well, for Theater there is: Theater Buffet. Even though there are many obstacles to overcome Ms. Harms, and other students are going to push through and make it happen.  Theater Buffet with include three student directed plays, a radio drama directed by Ms. Harms, two student directed short films, dance, and potentially a choir contribution.

Everyone is aware of the fact that we can’t have a theater jammed packed with audience due to the situation that we are in right now. So how do kids get to act together? The Theater Buffet came about after a discussion in PPCC Theater 105 class.  The first idea was a student film. Even though theater and film have many differences, they still have many similar traits. For example, they still need actors, costume designers and directors. The only difference this time is that the extraordinary Ms. Harms, a teacher at Manitou Springs High School, is handing over the reins to the students and letting them take control. “I believe that it’ll grant you guys more experience and give you a new prospective of what things we have to go through.” Harms said to the many students who attended an after school on February 11th.

During that meeting many students sat and brainstormed many ideas for the student film. First they broke down which genres everyone wanted to contribute to. So they broke it down into three main categories of genres. Up first was slice of life/coming of age, where the story mainly focuses someone, usually relatively young, who goes on this “journey” and learns something along the way that may or may not change their perspective. Second, there was mythical/fantasy, which most have the general aspect of. The protagonist of the story usually has something propel into conflict and cast them into a world that they’re unfamilar with. The whole hero’s journey kind of thing. Last, but not least, is thriller, horror, and mystery. The protagonist is being pursued by something of the unknown and it usually creates feeling of tension while everything is surrounded in this ambient mysterious.

Once they established the foreground of the genre, they were split into three groups, forever who wanted to do either of those three categories. With two students at mystical and fantasy, three at slice of life/coming to age and around 10 for mysteries/thriller/ horror. So they collaborated on three different story summaries and are now coming down with the base of a script, and then they will go through the same productions of a normal film. They’ll finish off the script, and then they’ll go on storyboarding each camera shot that they may or may not use. Then they beginning filming. After they have all the shots they need to sit down edit through all the filmage. Then, viola, you have a film. So far though, as said earlier, there are still in the beginning stage of making a script. “Even though it’s not going to be as big, I believe that this will play a huge part for the kids who need it.” Olive Van Eimeren (11) replied when ask what her thought were on the situation.

Once the film idea was fully realized, radio drama, dance, and other ideas were added.  In the end of it, things are starting come back around. With football, and Volleyball coming right around the corner it seems that things are slowly but surely going back to normal. We’ve made it through this far, and we’re still not going to give up. Hang in there Mustangs, we’re in it to win it!