EPHRATA — As students at Ephrata High School prepare to debut the musical “Grease,” they’re also grappling with the limits of a Performing Arts Center which they say is increasingly difficult to work in. While excitement builds around the school’s first musical in years, the production is in a facility students say is plagued by flickering lights, sound failures, creaking floorboards and a cramped backstage.  

Despite the building challenges, the students are excited to show off countless hours of rehearsal and building sets.  

“We may not have the perfect space, but we have really talented people working really hard to put on a good show for the community,” Junior Allison Moore said. “Come out and see for yourself.”  

Stage manager and junior Jordyn Dresser has watched “the car,” a full‑size set piece built entirely by students, become a point of pride and symbol of determination. 

“It’s a full-on car with a trunk and a hood, and people can sit in it,” Dresser said. “We built it from nothing. It’s my favorite part of the production.” 

Creating the car required improvisation. Without a dedicated shop area, crews are constructing major set pieces in a hallway. Maneuvering the car to the stage, through the tiny hallway, is challenging, she said.  

For junior Mason Powell, who plays Sonny, Grease is his first acting role after years on the stage crew. 

“It’s nerve‑wracking but also extremely exciting,” Powell said.  

He said the production’s toughest obstacle isn’t dancing, it’s the building. 

“The lights have been quirky. The sound has been an issue for years. During Cabaret, we had feedback so loud it nearly blew out our eardrums,” he said.  

Powell says acting onstage is made harder by the auditorium’s acoustics. 

“We have to project twice as hard just to be heard,” Powell said.  

Moore, who plays Sandy, said problems with the PAC have become predictable. 

“When I did Cabaret on guitar, I stood on the creakiest spot and had to tiptoe,” she said. “You can hear the boards creak during scenes. It takes the audience out of it.” 

Then there’s the curtain. 

“It gets stuck all the time,” Moore said. “People get ready for their big moment, they're already nervous, it starts to open and suddenly the curtain won’t open.”

Drama Director Marla Allsopp, who selected Grease because it’s a fan favorite and close to her own childhood memories, said students’ dedication keeps productions thriving. 

“They’re working so hard, inside and outside rehearsal,” Allsopp said. 

The facilities' condition negatively impacts her program, she said. 

“We work so hard to make the PAC look nice, because it’s a gift from the community,” she said. “But we’ve outgrown it. We’re building sets in hallways, rehearsing around classroom equipment, and losing rehearsal time every day because this space doubles as a health room.” 

Still, she says the result will be worth it. 

“When people leave a show smiling, that’s my favorite part,” she said. “And people will not stop smiling after Grease.” 

Moore said the small and outdated stage limits the productions students can present. 

“We can’t do big shows with flying rigs or tall sets. The ceiling is too low. The stage is tiny,” she said. “Growing up, I saw Mary Poppins fly in Quincy. Here we just don’t have that option.” 

She said a new facility would bring more students and more ambition. 

“People think, ‘It’s a musical at that little PAC? How good can it be?’” Moore said. “A better space would show we can do bigger things.” 

The $75 million bond, appearing on the Feb. 10 ballot, includes funding to replace the Performing Arts Center, expand Ephrata High School, and replace Grant Elementary and Parkway Intermediate. The district says the existing PAC no longer meets instructional needs and has surpassed its service life. 

Students say the bond could transform the arts in Ephrata. 

“With a new PAC, more people would join. More people would come to watch. It would put us on the map,” Powell said.  

Moore agrees. 

“If we stay small, students will feel small,” she said. “A new building would show future kids that they can dream big here.” 

The students said they had concerns about what would happen if the bond did not pass. 

“It’ll keep being the same small group of people, with fewer and fewer shows we can do,” Powell said.  

Moore said the biggest loss would be opportunity. 

“These productions build confidence. They change people,” she said. “If the facility keeps deteriorating, fewer kids will have that chance.” 

Despite facility limitations, Allsopp said the students’ work embodies why the arts matter in schools.

“It teaches them to be good humans,” she said. “To be brave. To do hard things. To work as a family.” 

‘Grease’ 

Ephrata High School Performing Arts Center
Feb. 12, 13, 14, 20 and 21
Doors open: 6:30 p.m.
Show starts: 7 p.m. 

    Grease Director Marla Allsopp said around 35 students are involved in the production, making it one of the largest shows she has directed.