Our annual Mr. Deep Run will take place on Feb. 22 at 7 p.m. Tickets are $10 and can be bought in the drama room or at the door.

Mrs. Sheryl Gibson, the drama teacher, and her thespian students started preparing for this event at the end of the summer at the Thespian officers meeting. Finding contestants and planning for the different events, the students put in a lot of time and effort into this pageant.

The Thespian officers are totally in charge of the event. Mrs. Gibson supervises, but the students advertise, plan, build, rehearse, and run everything behind the scenes. The other Thespians support the officers by working the event and helping with promoting it.

During the pageant, the Mr. Deep Run contestants participate in many different acts, including a talent portion and an opening dance that is choreographed to the theme of the show. This year’s theme is “Mr. Deep Run Rock On.” They started rehearsing the week of Jan. 21.

The contestants were chosen during the week of Jan. 7. They had to fill out an intent form and talk to an organization they are a part of to sponsor them. Even if the student did not have a sponsor, the Mr. Deep Run planning committee helped him find one. Currently, 18 contestant entries have been submitted.

Last year, Mr. Andy Jenks, Henrico County’s Director of Communications and Public Relations, judged. This year, he will return to the judging panel, encouraging more students to come and see the show.

The first Mr. Deep Run took place in the spring semester of 2003. It started when a former teacher used it as a junior class fundraiser to get money to put on the first prom. Two years later, Mrs. Gibson took it over.

Since then, Mrs. Gibson has enjoyed many aspects of working on Mr. Deep Run.

“I love the energy of the event. The whole school comes and supports the contestants, and it gives students a chance to shine when they might not have dared take a chance to get on stage otherwise. I also love that we are able to sponsor a school-wide event that directly impacts students in our program,” Mrs. Gibson said.

All of the money from the event goes toward scholarship awards that are given at the end of the year to Thespian students who will be pursuing performing arts or technical theatre in college.