Students construct theater set, prepare for arts festival
MARTIN, Tenn. — Tennessee Future Farmers of America students across Weakley County are working hard on various tasks ahead of its art show.
Westview High School FFA students are also designing a complete set for the theater program.
FFA Advisor Kyle Rogers says this is preparing them for their futures post-high school.
“This will help them tremendously if they go into the construction industry. With this right here, they had to do stud assembly, they had to do porch railings, they had to do load-bearing walls. They had to know all these ins and outs of the construction to kind of help build this set safely,” Rogers said.
This is the first time FFA students have built a production of this size.
Abigail Colarullo says it has been a fun task, and students are excited to use skills that they have been learning all year.
“It has been awesome seeing all of our ag kids being able to take part in the theater, building the set, and being able to take what we learn in the classroom and present it on stage,” Colarullo said.
The set will be showcased for the first time to the public for the theater’s “Romeo and Juliet” play starting May 6.
Theater student Emily Kelley says she couldn’t be more grateful for what FFA students have done for their department.
“I mean, it benefits both of us. They get experience from building our set, and we get to use the set. So it really helps us out, and I mean, I’ve never seen a set this big and I’ve been in community theater in other areas. So I think it’s really helpful,” Kelley said.
While building the theater set, FFA students are also working on designing their guitar racks that will be displayed at the Weakley County Schools Arts Festival on April 30.
FFA student Rebecca Powers says she’s excited for the public to see the student’s hard work, yet again, on display in a different way.
“I think it’s going to be really exciting just to see all the pieces that everyone made, but also just to see the whole county come together and just kind of be able to unite and appreciate the art,” Powers said.
More than 32 “up-cycled” guitars as art will be sitting or hanging from exhibit pieces designed, constructed, and painted by the ag students.
Winning art from each school will be secured to canvases and spotlighted on cubes built last year.
The festival will from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in the afternoon.
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