As is our custom, the 2004-2005 Theatre Season began with a Children's Theatre presentation. The Emperor's New Clothes was chosen for this year's bill. Once again, every first and second grade student in Spring I.S.D. was bussed to Spring High School to enjoy this event. Through six performances over three days, our students performed for 4429 joyous faces! The schedule is gruelling, but the fun makes it more than worth the effort. The schedule then followed with three performances for the public. In all, there were nine performances of the play to over 5000 appreciative audience members!

Children's Theatre always presents a special set of challenges for the technical staff. This play required a castle for its setting. The Technical Theatre classes had a lot of fun constucting the structure. It included two elevated decks, two staircases, two escape stairs, a double door for the dungeon, and four towers. Over two hundred cubic feet of polystyrene closed cell foam was utilized to create its stone look. The stones were scumbled with three earth tone colors and highlighted with Wildfire paint to reflect the four blacklight fixtures. A blue wash was added to the lighting plot and one strobe light fixture. The children always enjoy special effects. The costumes were bright and colorful. Color was added to the set with bright heraldic banners. Nine wireless microphones were used and created the usual nightmare for the sound crew. They needed to be constantly tweaked and adjusted keeping the operator very busy. In the end, the show was a lot of hard work, but more than enough fun when the children got there!

The paint crews did an admirable job. It is difficult to tell the wooden structure from the styrofoam. The dungeon doors are actually styrofoam. The castle is supposed to be in disrepair, so there is an occasional "chipped" or tilted stone here and there. The banners add color, and the marbled panels break up the monotony of all those stones!

The treasures of the Kingdom were created using lots of Aluminum foil, spray painted wooden coins, mylar tinsel, cut glass jewels , and lots of large cut glitter.

An antique spinning wheel was used to spin the thread for the fabric that was so fine no one could see it.

The Emperor's family does not admit that he is in his underwear. They do not wish to be "fools".

Shroud jumps for joy, because he finally gets to throw some one in the dungeon.

Only the child "Patches" will tell him the truth.

Patches is rewarded for her honesty.