CHATSWORTH : Show, Auction Will Fund Drama Group

Each year, finding ways to raise funds for Chatsworth High School’s award-winning drama program has required more imagination.

To continue the program’s traditional two shows a year--as well as periodic performances for local elementary schools--students have given benefit performances, sold candy and hawked refreshments, said drama director Dona Hill. But recently, with student-body funds in short supply, even the small amount of cash needed to print programs has been hard to come by, she said.

So this year, Chatsworth students have gone a step further. Aided by teachers and parents, the students in Chatsworth’s play production program have organized a comedy night and Hollywood memorabilia auction to raise funds. The show is scheduled for Friday, 7:30 p.m., at the high school, 10027 Lurline St. Tickets will be sold at the door for $7.

Junior Ryan Randa said the event was born of the realization that many Chatsworth students have friends and relatives employed in the television or movie industry.

“We figured we had so many connections for getting cool stuff, we might as well use it,” Randa said.

The connections started with Hill, whose husband is stage manager for “The Arsenio Hall Show” and who lined up three writers from the show--Alex Thomas, Dante and Charles Gozart--to perform as stand-up comics at Friday’s benefit.

Then students got to work, making phone calls, writing letters and collecting memorabilia. They have assembled more than 60 items to auction, including a tambourine used by pop star Prince, a book autographed by hockey player Wayne Gretzky, and what Randa calls the “hot item”--a “Jurassic Park” T-shirt signed by the film’s stars.

It’s hoped that the auction and benefit will help continue the drama program, which has placed first or second each of the past five years in the twice-yearly high school Drama Festival of Southern California, said Hill.