New Storage for Fine Arts Donated by Nguyen’s
From the desk of Glenn Ballard, Fine Arts Director:
One of the things that makes the Brook Hill Theatre program special is that we have been building special scenery pieces and stage settings for eighteen years. We have also accumulated numerous, very unique pieces from the annual Texas Shakespeare Festival in Kilgore, with whom I have built a close working relationship. In addition, from time to time, someone who knows about what we do here will call me and say, “Glenn, I have some left-over lumber, or a piece of furniture, or some custom draperies, or some other special thing…..would you like to have it?” And I almost always say, “Yes.” The same thing is true of our vast costume inventory.
In fact, we have accumulated so many set and costume pieces over the years that other schools in town, both public and private, as well as dance companies, civic theatres and one 5-A public school in Round Rock Texas have called and asked to borrow or rent some of our unique stage settings or costumes. We have been happy to support other theatre groups in this way!
However, such an accumulation of sets, furniture, props and costumes requires storage space, and we are literally busting at the seams. So I am especially thankful to Dr. Trung and Kristin Nguyen for recently offering to add to our storage facilities. With the generous help of their construction company, we have added a 16’ by 24’ covered storage area on school property where we can store many of the large set pieces that we reuse from year to year. And this new space will not only keep the set pieces out of the weather, but it will allow easy access to them whenever we need to use them or share them with someone else.
So if you ever have the opportunity to tour one of our theatre storage rooms, don’t think of me as a “hoarder,” or a “pack-rat.” I prefer that you think of me as “thrifty,” and as someone who sees the value in the things others are ready to get rid of. If you have something you think I may be able to “re-purpose,” give me a call. Now I have a place to keep it!
