Senior Ellie Schwam (center) as Donna Sheridan in Mamma Mia.

by Miriam Lev ‘27

Last month, Sherwood students, staff, and parents were given the opportunity to watch a fabulous production of the musical Mamma Mia. The four performances in mid-November were the culmination of nearly two months of rehearsals with a crew and cast of approximately 80 students. Many challenges to staging a school musical or play occur during the rehearsal process, as well as turning a profit or at least breaking even.

When theater teacher and director Elizabeth Kominski and cast members consider which musical to put on in the spring and which musical for the fall, they have to not only consider what they want to perform, and how it will appeal to an audience, but how much it will cost.

“Some of the major expenses include the rights for the plays, the set construction and materials, costuming, and staff who work on the show,” said Kominski. “For each play we want to produce, we have to apply for the rights, and if they are granted, we then see how much they would charge us to produce it. I would say the average musical costs us around $3,500 for rights.” The more known the original production is, the costlier the rights are.

The Theatre department does not receive funds from MCPS or the school. Ticket sales during productions is the main source of revenue which has kept the department going. Only the Director, Technical Director, Conductor, and Vocal Director are paid a stipend by the county. Since ticket sales raise money, the cast, crew, and directors advertise as much as possible for the community to come see productions. This includes posting on social media, banners throughout the community, and sharing with friends and family. For last month’s production of Mamma Mia a fundraiser was added, which included specialty shirts and mugs to help raise added revenue.

“Sherwood is very fortunate. We have an incredibly supportive community and because of this, we have been able to turn a profit on every show we have put together. It does take careful planning on my part, but it is kind of fun. I make it a game and set my budget, and then try to surpass my goals,” said Kominski.

Despite the challenge to turn a profit, Sherwood’s theatre is committed to putting on a fall musical and spring play every school year. “For me personally, it has been the most rewarding and meaningful part of my career. Having my former students come back and continue to see the productions and even work on them with me at times has made my life so rich.”

The productions at Sherwood would not be possible without the help of other staff. “I am also blessed to be able to work with the best staff on the show–Silverbook, Chu, Lynch, and D’Anna,” said Kominski.