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Students Take Theater Production
Beyond the Stage

Lorie Heald’s Theater Production 8 students recently applied their technical and building skills to benefit our campus. The class designed and created eight outdoor handwashing stations. Ben Aronson, Cami Finley and Connor Javid, all class of ‘25, took some time during a break on campus to explain the process and provide a demonstration.

To learn about the stations, the students watched a video about their use in parts of Africa. Ben explained, “They use them in Africa in places they don’t have copper piping and to save water.” Ms. Heald presented the class with an internet diagram of a station and they began working on models.

“We had to problem-solve a lot,” Cami said. “It didn’t work the first time. We figured out to put the pedal in a hole so it doesn’t move around.”

Connor agreed. “On some of them, the rope gets in the way, and water just runs down the string. We had to fix that.”

In the end, the students’ problem-solving efforts paid off, and, as you can tell in the video, the handwashing stations do the job!

(If you are interested in learning about the safety of using bar soap in this capacity, please refer to this New York Times article.)

"I love every aspect of my job.  I love it because I feel supported, and I am encouraged to remain creative in my work.  As a theater arts teacher at The Gregory School I am able to share my passion for the performing arts with a community of engaged learners.  As a teacher in our community garden program I am able to share with students the simple wisdom that my grandmother shared with me.  Having the opportunity to work and grow within our community of vibrant and enthusiastic students, faculty, and administration inspires me to always be, and do, my best. "

Lori Heald, M.A.

Lorie Heald has a M.A. in Theater Arts and a B.F.A. in Dance from the University of Arizona. She was appointed to The Gregory School faculty in 2000.