Masks and laughter were shared and cherished at the Midnight Masquerade event. The event took place last Saturday, January 26, 2019 and started off the new semester with another event put together by the Minarets Drama Department. Drama hosted dinner, a silent auction, music, and provided formal attire for attendees to wear. The night was very successful in raising funds for the Advanced Drama trip later this year in April to London.
Drama teacher Kayla West, the advisor for the Drama Department said that the events purpose was an opportunity for Drama students to lead a fundraising event. “In the past I've been kind of the mastermind behind a lot of of our fundraisers and this was a opportunity for students to lead and it was really successful. It was a fun opportunity to raise money as we're about to do our spring play which will help us see where our budgets at” she said. “We also have some really big trips coming up” she continued, “A trip to London and Ashland Oregon that we do every year, so this will really help pay for students who need additional financial help”
When it came to the event, West said it was “Its own kind of beast” when comparing it to other events and dances. “I'm a big fan of Phantom of the Opera and I know a lot of my students are too. In past years who've loved the idea of doing a masquerade so this was an opportunity to see it actually happen”.
When asked about some students wanting the Masquerade to become an annual event, she said “I am all for it to become an thing, I still like the idea of it being a student lead. I want students to take pride in it and if it's something that they want to continue then each year we'll learn from our experiences and just make it better and better. I think that would be really great”. West felt overall was very happy about how things turned up and was glad that people enjoyed it.
Lindsay Martin and Rebecca Townsend, both juniors, are a part of drama who helped make the night happen. They had a red, white, gold and black color theme and based it from The Phantom of the Opera because it correlated with drama and the masquerade. When asked why a masquerade was chosen, Marin said, “It’s never been done before and it makes sense for drama because when you think a lot about the theatrical masks you see, it really just tied it all together”.
Lindsay added that she thought this event was more of a trial run to see if people would be interested, and it happened that many were. “We didn’t have a huge amount of people but the people who did come loved it” she said, “there were a lot of kids who were part of different events and so they hope that we do it again so they can make it to the next one."
Many students enjoyed the event and felt it was different compared to other dances. Rayann Avila, sophomore, said she thought the event was really good, saying “It was really fun because I got to hang out with my friends."
The event was wonderful for both students and the Drama Department and many students said they had a great time! If you want to see more of the Drama Department be sure to check out their upcoming play about a murder mystery near the end of March, a showcase night by Emma Lynch and other upcoming events!