Sombrero of shame to the 11:07 cheaters
“It starts in five, four, three, two, one.” This particular cheer is well known on campus and launches every 11:07 evening of hilarity and improvisation including Friday, Sept. 17th, at the fall kick-off performance.
Before the games began, an announcement was made declaring that some of the audience members had not paid the three-dollar entrance fee but had, in fact, cheated their way in. The guilty individuals who put pieces of paper or tickets torn in half in the collector’s jars, instead of one full ticket per person, are making a bigger impact than they are probably aware. According to 11:07 performer Lyndon Johnson, “even though the people involved in the show do not directly see any of the money going towards the show, it is one of the main forms of revenue for the theater department, which in turn affects many of the players.” Without proper funding for the theater department, not only are the 11:07 shows affected, but also future theater productions such as The Skin of Our Teeth, The Foreigner, New Generations, and The Bacchae.
11:07’s ticket collecting system depends upon the honesty and integrity of all parties involved. This includes the ticket distributors who must charge each person properly, despite the fact that their roommate’s boyfriend’s friend may want to get in for free; the ticket collectors who make sure that every person gives a ticket prior to entering the theater; and the audience. The honor system is an ancient practice and has been in use at 11:07 for years, expecting students to pay the three dollar fee. The theater department believes this price is worth the entertainment. Getting to see Julia Church somersault ninja-style across the stage as a superhero and jump up unscathed, or watching the “Sombrero of Shame” get passed around like a hot potato are experiences one does not readily forget.
It doesn’t go without effort and preparation from the stars of 11:07 either who devote roughly four hours of their time per week, which includes workshops and the show itself.
Students that have a tendency to abuse the honor system can affect the productions of the theater department and the way in which the student body as a whole is perceived.
Contributor
Catherine Affleck
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