The Covid pandemic has been hard on everyone, but young people have been impacted tremendously.  Those interested in that arts, specifically Drama Club at Nelsonville York High School has been especially impacted.  The last performance was in 2019.  That is, it WAS the last performance until a great partnership formed to change the trajectory. The Nelsonville-York Drama Club is sponsored, funded, and hosted by Stuart’s Opera House. 

Stuart’s is working with not only the students from Nelsonville York but also the community theater organization, ABC Players, to produce and perform “Matilda” the musical.  Putting together a full-scale musical is difficult for small schools, but through collaboration with ABC Players, the Opera House and the Drama Club, they are excited to move forward with what will be a fabulous production.  The story, written by Roald Dahl, will be performed on stage April 28-30th.  Further collaborations are planned with local libraries, schools, and local organizations like The Hive, to have every student in Athens County see this production about the power of imagination and creativity in even the most troubling of times.  

In addition to funding expenses for this production such as licensing, set building, costumes, makeup, and marketing, funds will also be used to reach out to other schools to see the production.   

Because of donations and foundation assistance, the drama club is incredibly accessible so that students do not have to pay a fee to participate in any way, and they are provided after school snacks as well. 

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted all Arts & Culture organizations and has created particular challenges for smaller organizations with less access to resources.

Arts & Culture organizations serving Appalachian Ohio have access to ten times fewer resources than those in other parts of the state. This makes community support for activities, especially those impacting young people, extremely important.