All Hallows: Choir, Band & Theatre Festival (2023)

Harrison High School | Cross-Department Arts Collaboration
Enrollment at Time of Event: ~250 Students

  • A spooky, student-curated event combining theatre, choir, and band performances with atmospheric tech.

  • The festival included monologues, movement pieces, music, and lighting design to create a haunting fall showcase.

  • Entirely student-managed, it served as an interdisciplinary performance night.

This event functioned as a promotional preview for upcoming choir, band, and theatre performances while increasing arts visibility across campus.

Financial Overview (Documented Figures):

Revenue Impact

While All Hallows was a free lunch-hour showcase, the event directly fed into the Student Council Halloween Movie Night, where VPAC operated concessions.

Using documented Square data from the Aug–Oct sales window:

  • Concessions generated significant gross revenue during the Halloween programming cycle.

  • Product pricing model: $2 per item

  • Approximate cost basis: $1 per item

  • Average gross margin: ~50% per product

  • Net profit from Halloween concession operations contributed directly to Panther Playhouse funds.

This event was not designed to generate ticket revenue; instead, it served as a marketing accelerator tied to a high-yield concession event.

Full Production Description & Overview:

  • Event Type: Interdisciplinary Arts Preview Showcase

  • Admission: Free (Lunch Hour Event)

  • Venue: Harrison High School Auditorium

  • Capacity: 950 seats (partial lunch-period attendance model)

  • Duration: 1 Lunch Block

  • Marketing Window: 3 weeks (in-school + Student Council tie-in)

Concessions & Extended Revenue Impact

$0 (Free lunch-hour event)

Intentional design:

  • Remove access barriers

  • Capture a casual student audience

  • Convert passive students into future ticket buyers

While the lunch performance itself was free, it was directly tied to:

🎬 Student Council’s Halloween Movie Night
Film Selection: The Nightmare Before Christmas

VPAC:

  • Promoted the event

  • Selected the film

  • Operated concessions

Strategic Goals & Outcomes:

    • Train VPAC officers in:

      • Event promotion

      • Concession inventory planning

      • Pricing strategy

      • Cross-department coordination

    • Strengthen student-directed staging (Time Warp)

    • Encourage ownership across performing arts disciplines

  • - Interdepartmental rehearsal coordination

    - Designing for mood and atmospheric lighting

    - Storyboarding for music/dance/theatre fusion

    - Hosting and stage transitions

    - Creation of teaser videos and promotional art

    - Peer tech shadowing and feedback rounds

    • Promote Puffs ahead of opening

    • Increase attendance for choir and band concerts

    • Convert casual student viewers into ticket buyers

    • Cross-promote through Student Council

    This was strategic audience cultivation.

    • Guided overall pacing and thematic cohesion

    • Supported student leaders in cross-department communication

    • Mentored first-time performers in ensemble staging

    • Structured collaborative planning meetings for logistics

    • Coordinated multiple performing arts departments

    • Integrated theatre into school-wide programming

    • Leveraged cultural events (Halloween) for audience engagement

    • Connected free-access arts programming to indirect revenue generation

    • Trained student leaders in concession inventory and sales strategy

    • Unified arts departments publicly

    • Increased visibility of drama beyond theatre students

    • Strengthened relationship with Student Council

    • Demonstrated arts as central to school culture

    • Increased concession revenue during high-traffic school event

  • While All Hallows was a free lunch-hour showcase, the event directly fed into the Student Council Halloween Movie Night, where VPAC operated concessions.

    Using documented Square data from the Aug–Oct sales window:

    • Concessions generated significant gross revenue during the Halloween programming cycle.

    • Product pricing model: $2 per item

    • Approximate cost basis: $1 per item

    • Average gross margin: ~50% per product

    • Net profit from Halloween concession operations contributed directly to Panther Playhouse funds.

    This event did not generate ticket revenue by design; instead, it functioned as a marketing accelerator tied to a high-yield concession event.

Strategic Impact

All Hallows functioned as:

  • A marketing accelerator

  • A recruitment tool

  • A student leadership practicum

  • A revenue catalyst (via Movie Night)

  • A cross-disciplinary arts unifier

The project required no production budget, royalties, or build costs and had minimal rehearsal adjustments (content drawn from existing repertoire)

Throughout Harrison High School, we had:

  • Increased concession revenue

  • Strengthened VPAC leadership identity

  • Expanded pre-show audience awareness for Puffs

  • Elevated arts collaboration culture on campus

Theatre

  • Puffs, or Seven Increasingly Eventful Years at a Certain School of Magic and Magic — “Monster Mash” performance

  • Student-directed staging of “Time Warp” (from The Rocky Horror Show)

Choir

  • Women’s Ensemble — “I’m in Love with a Monster”

Band

  • Jazz Band — Halloween-themed selections

Each department showcased material tied to their upcoming concert or production cycle.

Featured Performances

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Fatal Intentions (May 2023)
Next

Puffs (Nov. 2023)