The Princess Tea was a fundraiser for the Reitz Theatre Department in promotion of their production of Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella. I was responsible for planning, organizing, decorating, promoting, and gathering auction items for the event. The Princess Tea occurred on November 8, 2014 from 1-3pm. The cast of Cinderella performed a "teaser" for those in attendance, the children learned to waltz, created crafts, and dined with Cinderella and her fellow characters. There were over 300 people in attendance and over $2,000 were raised for the Reitz Theatre department.
Community Involvement
Reitz Theatre is dedicated to enriching the community through theatre and performance. The organization gives back by performing free shows for elementary students in the area. The Princess Tea utilized all members of the cast of Cinderella and members from outside the school. I received over a $500 value in donations from businesses such as: Club Tabby Chik-fil-a Skyzone LaVonda's Custom cupcakes & Cookies CJ's Orchard Fired UP Brenda's Creative Designs Puzzles & Games I also received help from my family and friends in painting over 45 pumpkins by hand and decorating the night before
History of Organization
Reitz Theatre has a history of incredible shows. I have perfromed in shows such as The King & I, CLUE, The Complete Works of William Shakespeare: ABRIDGED, The Wedding Singer,and Cinderella. The current director is Justin McCullough and the costuming and creative director is Jason Southwell.
Timetable
Total Hours in Each Category
Mentor Meetings-2 hours
Publicity-10 hours
Planning-6 hours
Decoration-20 hours
Event prep/execution-19 hours
Donation Collection-4 hours
For a total of 61 hours
Mentor Information
My mentor was Justin McCullough. He is an English teacher and theatre director at Reitz. I have known Mr. McCullough for over three years now, he has been my director for 6 shows now. He was very helpful in designing promotional material and graphics used. He also taught me how to make them myself in the future. He was very excited about my project and encouraged my ideas. Mr. McCullough showed kindness to me and is one of my greatest role models.
Self Growth
This project really changed my appreciation for the adults in my life that coordinate events I have attended. I discovered the career I want to pursue, Public Relations. I was thrilled with the response from the community and the positive press it gave the Theatre Department. I have a great sense of pride in the success of my project and I still receive compliments from faculty members and community members in attendance.