I had the extreme pleasure of attending the Mid-Prairie student musical production of “The Pirates of Penzance” this past weekend.  The students and their coaches did a fantastic job.  For those unfamiliar with the play, most of the play is singing and dancing with very little spoken dialogue.  

In addition to the large number of students singing and dancing in the play, the set design and construction involved many more students.  A Mid-Prairie student was solely responsible for creating the play’s choreography.   It was readily apparent that the quality of this play equaled, or even exceeded, a production put on by a small college.

While I have many accolades for the students’ efforts, the same can’t be said for the quality of the space where the play was held.  Mid-Prairie is classified as a 3A school (out of 4 classes) by the Iowa High School Music Association.  I would challenge anyone to find another 3A school in Iowa that performs its plays in a school cafeteria.  

The deficits in performing in the cafeteria are many.  The stage curtain can’t be used during productions.  Sound quality is poor, the sound booth and spotlights are dangerous to get to, and the space on the stage is too small and inadequate.  The orchestra members have to duck their heads so they aren’t a distraction.  At Sunday’s performance, an elderly gentleman tripped on the outdated, portable theater seats and required first aid.  Through it all, our students keep trying to make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear.

During my 41-year association with the school district, the Mid-Prairie Way has always provided the best possible facilities for our students, whether for academics or activities.   The space for our performing arts students doesn’t even come close to being adequate.  How long are we going to allow this to continue?

Mark Schneider

Wellman