HUNTERSVILLE — At first glance it looks like the performing arts students are enjoying their time with nature on a field trip, but upon closer inspection, it is all a mirage.
In actuality, they are inside Christ the King High School’s gym, posing on a stage in front of the newest innovative tech tool the school recently purchased to increase student engagement and enhance theatrical performances.
The $105,000, 360-square-foot video wall, which has been in the works for years, has already made an impact since it was recently installed. Instructors in the school’s theater department, band program and athletic departments say the tool is not just a home run for students, but also for teachers and coaches.
The coaches are using it to replay games and instruct their teams, while the band teacher has been using it to help students read music without having to flip through pages while juggling their instruments.
“I have been a teacher for 17 years, and this is absolutely the most unique and beneficial tool I have ever used,” said music teacher Hoy Colson. “I can show everything so in-depth; I can lay everything out. It cuts transition times in half.”
The school also plans to use the 30-foot-wide by 12-foot-high roll-away video screen as a backdrop for school performances.
“We can play a video that makes it look like there is smoke in the background,” theater teacher Sarah Varricchio said. “Now we are able to do things we couldn’t do with stationary sets. Before, we had to really think outside the box about what we should build; now, instead of trying to create a scene with wooden flats, we can actually go there.”
— Lisa M. Geraci
