‘The show must go on’: North Eugene Theater finds a way to improvise after ice storm damage

In a plot twist prompted by January’s ice storm, the resilient North Eugene High School Theater has found a way to turn adversity into an improvisational success.

The storm inflicted major damage on the fine arts department at NEHS, with a water intrusion at the new building — it had just opened in fall 2023 — forcing the theater to cancel its student-led performance of “Trap,” which was originally scheduled to open Jan. 24.

“It was definitely sad, just because we had put so much work into the play,” said Alayna Jensen, a senior at NEHS who was cast two acting roles in the play. “We’ve worked on it for an entire semester … and then we just weren’t able to do it.”

With the busy spring season, there was no time to reschedule the “Trap” performance, but that meant NEHS Theater had to find a creative solution to make sure their other spring performances don’t fall behind schedule.

While the Eugene School District 4J and its contractors continue to get the leaks fixed, which are estimated to be complete in February, the theater program has been rehearsing its next performance, Roald Dahl’s “Willy Wonka Jr.,” at Madison Middle School every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday evening.

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