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RHS Drama To Perform In Scotland
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The Riverbank High School Drama Department, under the direction of Stacy Blevins, has been selected to perform in Scotland at the world's largest and most prestigious arts festival in the world as part of the American High School Theatre Festival (AHSTF) - but needs funds right now to reserve their place for 2009.

Each August, the Scottish capital of Edinburgh becomes the most magical and exciting place on earth as performing artists from all over the world come to take part in the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. The whole city becomes a stage and visitors can view performances everywhere from playgrounds to conference rooms to city parks to churches, said Joey Huestis of Rio Arts.

RHS drama students, their parents, and teachers are now heavily involved in fundraising activities to finance their two-week adventure to Scotland and England. But before the students can even dream any further, a security deposit of $5,000 needs to be made. With help from Rio Arts, a nonprofit performing and visual arts organization that works closely with RHS Drama, the board of directors, teachers and students hope to raise that money in a matter of days, or they lose their spot. To make a contribution - large or small - you can send a check made out to Rio Arts/Scotland, and mail to: P.O. Box 1540, Riverbank, CA 95367. You can also contact RHS drama director Blevins at (209) 968-7464 (e-mail: theater@rioarts.org) or Huestis at (209) 614-9135 (e-mail: publicity@rioarts.org). The Fringe Festival includes over 1800 different performances of music, theatre, dance, and comedy during its three week run. The RHS performance will be showcased at the Festival Venue in Edinburgh, said Huestis. RHS, long recognized for its entertaining and innovative productions, was selected by the Festival Board of Advisors to represent the United States as part of the 2009 festival program. The board reviews all completed applications then identifies the top high schools based on their most recent bodies of work, awards, community involvement, philosophies and recommendations. While in Scotland, AHSTF's professional technical team ensures that the company's lighting, sound, and property needs are addressed. WorldStrides of Charlottesville, Virginia, the nation's oldest and largest student travel company, will be planning the arrangements for each high school group. Rio Arts is an all-volunteer 501(c)(3) nonprofit public benefit corporation dedicated to bringing the arts to life in Riverbank and beyond. More information about the group can be found at www.rioarts.org.