By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post
The Hays Community Theatre is putting a new twist on Valentine's fundraisers.
For $10, donors can submit a love letter and have that copy performed by an HCT member.
"This is something that a guy could do that would take five minutes of his time and he spends 10 bucks, and it is something your significant other will say 'You'll never guess what he got for me,' " HCT member "Buzz" Snyder Brown said.
The recipient of the video Valentine doesn't have to be a romantic connection such as a wife, husband, boyfriend or girlfriend, the theater group will also do performances for moms, dads, friends or your kids.
You can specify when you fill out the form on HCT website if you prefer your letter be performed in a kid-friendly manner.
You can submit a script or just some relevant information about the recipient. The performers with perform the piece in a serious or comedic style or whatever style the purchaser requests.
HCT will provide you with a video file you can share publicly on social media or privately with your loved one via text, email or messaging service.
"Obviously, we are not able to do a whole lot with COVID right now in person," Snyder Brown said. "We were trying to find something we could do as a fundraiser to still keep us relevant and to give people an opportunity to see us again and our performers to perform and do what a community theater should do."
The community theater was only been able to stage its annual outdoor Halloween history tour since March. All in-door performances have been canceled since the pandemic hit. However, HCT continues to have bills to pay.
"We have a lot of expenses month-to-month like any other organization, but are used to making up a fair bit of that in our performances," Snyder Brown said. "It has been not fun."
The deadline to submit your video Valentine request is midnight Feb. 11. The final video files will be sent back by midnight on Feb. 13.
The form includes a request for an email so HCT can send you a PayPal link for payment.
The form can be found on the HCT website.
"This is something quick and fun that we thought we personally would use, and I know some of our board members are going to the Hays Community Theatre so we can do this," Snyder Brown said. "It's just been so much fun."