Drama Department hosts 6th annual AIDS benefit show for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS

By Oliver Gable
Staff Writer

The Mira Costa Drama Department held its annual Broadway Cares/Equity Fights Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome show on Feb. 11 in the drama room.

Seniors Estefania Freire and Matt Sena hosted the event, which consisted of drama students performing various monologues and songs. The ComedySportz team also played a variety of improvisational games.

“All of us were excited about this year’s show,” junior Armance Sherman said. “After selling refreshments last year, it is nice to be able to participate in the actual show. Many of us wrote our own monologues, and we were very excited to be able to perform them in front of an audience.”

This was the sixth annual AIDS benefit show the Drama Department has put on. The purpose of the show is to showcase the Drama Department in a more intimate setting, while simultaneously raising money for charity.

“There are so many talented performers in our organization,” Sherman said. “We were given more creative freedom with this show in comparison to the plays, making it a much more personal performance. We can show off skills that many Costa students have not gotten to see.”

All proceeds, which are raised through ticket sales as well as selling snacks and beverages during the performances, benefit the Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS organization, a non-profit charity created by the drama community to help fight against AIDS. All money raised by the charity goes to fighting AIDS, HIV and HIV-related diseases.

“We did not have a goal amount,” Freire said. “We all wanted to raise as much money as we possibly can.”

The Drama Department raised $660 for the organization. They expected a larger audience at this year’s show due to the recent successes of the department in plays and other performances.

“The department rose to the challenge of putting on a great show,” Sena said. “I know that our successes have made it clear that we have a high reputation to uphold. We love that people trust the Drama Department to be entertaining and worth their time.”