In the auditorium, sits the stage on which the children’s show takes place. A scattered assortment of props sit on two large square platforms with wheels between which a motley bed is framed.

For the children’s play,  Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, Theater Department Chair Mr. Michael Moffatt said, “The show takes place in multiple locations like most shows do. It starts out in the golden age of chocolate and it goes into all these interviews where they go all around the world interviewing the kids who won the golden tickets. So, every time there’s an interview we’re going to set them up on a different side of the stage.” The platforms will rotate, pushed by an Oompa-Loompa-costume backstage crew member, to show different countries and combine for the chocolate factory.

The set for the Children’s play is more involved than previous years. Moffatt said, “We’re going full tilt, much more than usual for an October show. Usually I try to save a lot of my budget for the school musical, but this time we’re spreading it around.” He explained, “We’re trying to boost (the children’s play) up a bit. We have like 400 grade school kids coming, so we want to really impress them.” Moffatt was glad to have so many kids attending again. He said, “Recently we haven’t been getting those kinds of numbers.”

Part of the more extensive set is in smaller decorative touches as well as the large set. Moffat said, “I’ve never seen my classes paint so much as they have for this show.” Hand-painted cut-outs of chocolates and sweets all had to be hand painted by the crew.

Moffatt was optimistic about the interest in the theater program this year. Each of the three major productions, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, the fall play, Puffs, and the Spring musical, SpongeBob SquarePants, have garnered interest. He said,  “All three are selling this for different reasons. Puffs is more of a middle school appropriate show, because it’s got the Harry Potter theme and you have to know the books a bit. SpongeBob seems to be attracting all kinds of people already. That’s amazing that people are already reserving seats for something that’s taking place on April 20.”

This year, Moffat needs student help to fill seats. He said, “I’m hoping for a sellout.”