BDHS Theatre Program Receives Local Donation

By BOBBIE GREEN

The Progress

The Theatre program at Beaver Dam High School received a donation check of $5,000 last week. Pictured l to r are Karen Fielding, Wende Killinger, Darlene McCauley and Tom McCauley.

Beaver Dam High School Theatre teacher Wende Killinger, was surprised in her Classroom on Monday, Nov. 8, right in front of her students. She was presented with a $5,000 cheque for use in her Theater Arts Classes.

Killinger has been the academic guidance counselor and the Theatre Arts teacher at the school for the past three years.

“I am totally surprised and absolutely thrilled to get this donation,” Killinger said. “We started with a drama class, our newest class Stage Craft, involves building and design of production sets. The kids will start work next week. I am going shopping over the week-end for drills, lumber, nails and screws for the kids to use in that class!”

Karen Fielding, a local realtor, started the ball rolling by donating $2500 of her own. Darlene and Tom McCauley decided to match her donation. The McCauley’s are long time patrons of the Performing Arts.
“I challenge the community to step up and help out as well and donate to this worthy cause!” Darlene McCauley said.

Darlene McCauley is also the Beaver Dam Jr. and Senior High School Principal and the District Superintendent.
“Wende was hired three years ago because of her years of performing arts background,” McCauley said. “She is part of the Virgin Valley Theater Group and has performed many different tasks for them.

Including co-directing the two children’s summer theater performances of Jungle Book and Lion King last summer.
“We have only had one production so far (at Beaver Dam High School),” McCauley said. “That was before COVID. So I can’t wait to see what we can do now.”

Killinger said that it didn’t take her students long to start making plans. “The children were so excited that they started talking about which plays we could put on,” she said.
“We are building a theater program from the ground up,” McCauley said. “Adding this program to our school offerings gives our kids some of the same opportunities that the larger city schools can offer.”

Anyone wishing to donate to the BDHS Theatre program can call Littlefield Unified School District office at 928-347-5486.