SHARON — Hard to imagine that such a thing could be possible, but The Sharon Playhouse managed to underscore the “fun” in “fundraising” with its YouthStage event, one night only, on Friday, Dec. 6.
Guiding the evening held in the Bok theater space was YouthStage Associate Artistic Director Michael Baldwin, who serves a dual role as Education Director. He skillfully presented the fundraising theme while demonstrating the depth of the playhouse’s education program by showcasing the young talent being trained in the performance arts.
Energetic performances were delivered by a talented company of YouthStage performers singing and dancing their way through three Broadway numbers, all three inviting the audience to draw closer to the Sharon Playhouse education program. The final piece from “Oliver” invited the audience to “consider yourself one of us.”
Another highlight of the evening was a fun staged reading of a short play, “Young at Heart,” written by Baldwin and performed by a talented cast of 14 supporting the story of four youngsters and four oldsters, the former enduring school detention and the latter being senior community inhabitants roped into assisting the visiting youngsters with a senior center activity. The outcome is heartwarming and uplifting.
Buoyed by a sell-out audience, the event became a celebration of the program, the impressive young talent, both combining to serve the regional community. That community sense united the audience of all ages, where the adults could appreciate the theater’s education programming and what it contributes to the development of participating children, and the children in the audience could see their own possibilities.
A staged play reading of “Young at Heart” was a feature of the fundraising event at The Sharon Playhouse on Friday, Dec. 6.Leila Hawken
This was a community that anyone would want to be a member of, and that would welcome everyone warmly. The education program offers five programs for all ages, of which YouthStage is one.
Recounting his own history with Sharon Playhouse, Baldwin said that he had first discovered the Sharon Playhouse at the young age of ten, a connection that has now lasted 30 years.
“It was the place where I could be myself; I could be me,” Baldwin said. Judging from the audience enthusiasm at the event, the “me” that Baldwin has contributed has meant the world to the development of the theater’s education program.
Proceeds from the evening’s fundraiser paid for the purchase of the new risers in use within the Bok theater space.
The playhouse began to grow the education program in 2020, and over the past four years it has grown, Baldwin said. In 2024, the education program attracted 148 young people, and in 2025, programs are expected to attract 165.
“The heart of our community,” was how Baldwin described the playhouse’s place in Sharon.
Going on to a most entertaining presentation of budget numbers, Baldwin said that ticket sales cover one-third of the theater’s operating costs. As an example, Baldwin said, the cost for electrical service currently totals $33,126, and the year is not yet over.
New program in 2025
A new program being introduced in 2025 is LaunchPad, a pre-professional training program for youth 15 to 20 years of age, Baldwin said. Entrance will be by audition. There will be no fee to participate, and participants will receive a $250 stipend. Participants will rehearse and perform in a “flashy” musical to be directed by Baldwin in August. The musical will be announced in January.
Sophomore Eliana Lang enjoys her Housy Shack cookie.
The cookies are so popular that the store had to increase prices from 50 cents to a dollar and implement a four cookie per person maximum. The Shack sells about 40-100 cookies per day and has about 20-60 HVRHS customers visiting per day.
Julie Browning and Heather Strid, two of the HVRHS faculty members that help run the Shack, said their goal was to create real-world job experiences as well as real-world shopping experiences for students at HVRHS. “Learning the skills to work in the world can be taught in a classroom, but the lessons are more meaningful and valuable when they are applied in real work situations, which is what we create through the school store,” Browning said.
The original purpose for the store seems to be working, as several students are learning important skills. Students said the store taught them skills like counting money, checking inventory and cleanliness along with social skills and customer service that could help in the professional world after high school.
The Housy Shack open sign, welcoming customers in for cookies.Anna Gillette
As the store quickly became a hit, organizers were faced with the challenge of finding funding. “When we started planning to start the school store two years ago we needed money to buy equipment, supplies and food to start it up but were not sure how to get it,” Browning said. “Mrs. Strid came up with the idea of applying for a grant from the 21st Century Fund to help us get started and they were so generous.” That grant has been crucial to the success and growth of the school store.
Not only does the Housy Shack benefit the special education department, students said it fosters a sense of community throughout the school. “School store cookies are my favorite thing ever. They brighten up my day,” said Eliana Lang, a sophomore at HVRHS. Dayana, one of the student staffers at the Housy Shack, said her favorite part of working in the school store is when students come in to make purchases. She enjoys talking to them and ringing up their orders on the cash register. The Housy Shack brings people together and offers the opportunity for students to connect with each other.
As the school year continues, the members of the school store look forward to expanding their inventory by creating and selling a variety of Housy merchandise — t-shirts, sweatshirts, water bottles, and more. “I have had several students put in requests for certain hats, key chains, etc. … so there will be more of that to come,” Browning said. Last school year, profits were all invested back into the school store. “This year we are hoping to make more of a profit and will look to use the money that we make for field trips, outings as well as opportunities to donate and give back to the community,” Browning said. They also would like to use the school store to fundraise for other causes. “Right now we are collecting donations for The Little Guild Animal Shelter, so if anyone has pet supplies they would like to donate please drop them off in exchange for a cookie,” Browning said.
