Our new school is finally open, with a brand new theatre! Where to start in singing the praises of the new auditorium? No more broken seats, missing seats, missing stage lights. The old wooden seats were uncomfortable to begin with, whacking you in the legs every time you stood up. If you were so lucky to get one with broken veneer, then you got an extra special sharp dig in your back. If you were really lucky, you might even get a splinter as a memento of whatever show you were watching.

Yes, we’ll miss the graffiti carved into the auditorium seats, and the mounds of gum stuck on so long ago that they had become one petrified blob under the seats. How annoying it will be to have actual storage around the stage so we don’t have to cram all set pieces into the tiny wings with overflow into the hallways.

Enough sarcasm – the stage itself is epically monumentally gorgeous. It looks like a real, professional theatre, draped all in black except for a few plush, thick green curtains for accent. No more tiny, scuffed wooden stage. And we have a catwalk! Does it get any better?

Wait – it does. The auditorium has real sound and lighting systems. No more making the actors dodge the dark spots on the stage, or blowing half our budget renting audio equipment.

Now we just have to figure out how to use all the fun toys that came with the place. Can’t wait.