Three months into the 2025 school year the Cyprus High School auditorium is still incomplete, a situation that has left performing art classes finding it difficult to work around the delay and leaving students missing out on exciting moments on stage. What was supposed to be an exciting upgrade to the brand new campus has instead become a reminder of uncertainty and frustration. Teachers have said the construction delays have thrown off concert schedules, musical rehearsals and stage crew training, limiting opportunities for hundreds of students who rely on the auditorium for both classroom instruction and public performances.

 Band director Dayne Moore, now in his ninth year at Cyprus said the delay forced major changes to the school's recent concert known as Fright Night.

‘It didn’t look like a usual concert,” Moore said. “My students and I made the most of it and made it the best it could possibly be given the circumstances." In the past the band department has performed in front of an audience of about 800 people which includes parents, friends, other students and even faculty members. This year however without a working auditorium Moore was forced to move the event into the school's black box theater which seats only around 146. This resulted in Moore directing four smaller concerts instead of one large one as they would normally perform. “We had to split what’s usually a combined concert into four mini concerts, one for each ensemble,” Moore said. “Each student could only bring three guests. It was the only

way to make it work.”

 This dramatic change not only has shrunk the audience, it has also reduced the show's

fundraising potential. Moore decided not to charge admission, expressing it didn’t feel right under the strange circumstances. “Public education runs on taxpayer dollars and donations and fundraisers,” he said. “These concerts are our fundraisers, and we definitely missed out on some money this year. But it’s really about the music.” Still, Moore said the setting has affected more than just attendance or money. “If the auditorium were finished, being in that space would have enhanced the experience for both the performers and the audience,” he said. “They would have felt more pride performing on a big stage, under

real auditorium lights, in a space built for their sound.” 

Many of Moore's students have expressed disappointment after seeing other parts of the campus completed, including the football field, gym and pool. “Comparison is the thief of joy,” he said.“ But it’s hard not to compare when every other team has their facility and we don't. The students have taken note of that and they feel slighted.” The lack of performance space has made it harder for the band to feel part of the larger school

community. In past years concerts gathered wide participation and school spirit, this recent concert has felt more private and quiet in comparison. “It hurts,” Moore said. “I wish that the confident promises from the construction companies had been met, and that my students had a space to call home and be proud of.”

 Down the hall the theatre program has faced similar and in some ways greater challenges. Teacher Becky Williams who has taught theatre at Cyprus for 18 years and has directed dozens of productions said the delay has stalled preparations for this year’s musical Freaky Friday. “It hasn’t hurt our rehearsals too much, because we've been able to use the black box,” Williams said. “Professional companies rehearse in other spaces all the time. The real problem is that my

crew hasn't been able to train on the lighting and sound equipment because it’s not installed yet.” Normally students in stage crew would be learning how to operate lighting boards, rig scenery, and manage stage changes. Without an auditorium or a functioning scene shop those technical

lessons have been impossible to teach. “We haven’t been able to build anything,” Williams said. “My poor stage crew class has had nothing to do. It's bad.” The musical that was originally scheduled to open in the fall has been postponed indefinitely. Williams said she is most concerned for her seniors. “They are extremely bummed,” she said. “It's their senior year, their senior show, and everything keeps getting pushed back.”

 Under normal circumstances seniors would participate in both a musical and a play throughout the school year. With the delay there is only time for one major production. “We won't be able to do a play because everything's been pushed back,” Williams said. “It’s terrible and I feel really

badly for them.” The constant uncertainty has also made scheduling very difficult for students involved in other

activities such as sports clubs. “Trying to keep rehearsals going without a timeline is hard,” Williams said. “We've cut rehearsals down to two weeks so the students don’t burn out.” Williams said the hardest part of the delay has been not knowing when the space will be available for their use. “If we had answers we'd know how to plan,” she said. “But we can't plan and we can't do anything.” The delay has created problems beyond the classroom. Theater programs must purchase performance rights and rent scripts as well as materials for a specific time window. Williams said

not knowing when the auditorium will open could create financial losses if materials need to be rented out again or returned. “I have to pay for the rights from publishers, and I rent the materials for a certain amount of time,” she explained. “If the publisher says we can't extend it or someone else is performing that show, then we'd have to cancel.” Both Moore and Williams said school administrators have been supportive, even though the

situation is out of their control. “They've been amazing,” Williams said. “Their hands are tied

too, you can’t ask concrete to dry faster.”

 Despite the frustration both teachers are trying to stay positive for their students. Williams recently arranged for her actors to rehearse with the orchestra for the first time, even though they still can’t perform in the auditorium. “It gives them something to look forward to,” she said. Moore has also voiced that sense of perseverance. “It’s rough to compare ourselves to other programs but we're doing the best we can,” he said. “We made the most of it and the students

have handled it with maturity.” As the year continues the performing arts department continues to wait for lighting to be installed, for construction to be finished , and for the moments when the curtain can finally rise. “I just wish my students had a space to call home and be proud of,” Moore said. “They deserve that.”