Final curtain before Raytown South opens new theater
RAYTOWN, Mo. — Friday will be the final curtain for Raytown South’s auditorium after 60 years of productions, band performance and assemblies inside.
“If you just look at the stage there’s so many scuff marks paint, if you look back stage and at the lighting booth you see old signatures from people that have been here,” Senior actress Sabrina Clark said.
She’s one of thousands of actors and actresses that have graced the stage over the years.
“It’s been a long rich history it really is,” Raytown Mayor and Class of 1973 graduate Mike McDonough said.
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The final production is based on a 200-year old novel, with a new take “Pride and Prejudice.”
“It’s been great to see their attitude, their take on a text that’s obviously quite a bit antiquated at this point,” Raytown South Theater Director Brent Nanney said.
Antiquated like the 60 year old theater, with no fly system for changing set pieces and an a/v room no longer in use.
“It’s probably about time for us to have a new theater and you can only replace doll up fix things up for so long until you have to replace it so I’m glad they were able to do that for the theater people,” McDonough said.
Voters in April of 2023 approved a $35 million no tax increase bond to provide students at Raytown and Raytown South updated new arts and activities spaces. At Raytown South that means turning the existing auditorium into an auxiliary gym and building a performing arts center next door.
“I’m glad that they are getting a chance at a state of the art multimillion dollar theater that they can have a lot more fun with, do a lot more with production,” Clark said.
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While Clark will graduate next month and won’t get to grace the new stage, the program’s first year director excited about the multiple theater spaces and possibilities a new performing arts center will provide.
“I think it’s a great opportunity to have this new space to be able to build this program moving forward,” Nanney said.
