Update on Schoolhouse Arts Center Vandalism

The Schoolhouse Arts Center at Sebago was vandalized on the evening of Friday, November 23, 2007. Read more details of the vandalism below.

On Tuesday, February 12, representatives from the Standish High School alumni presented the Schoolhouse Arts Center's Board of Directors with a check for their vandalism relief fund. After two teenagers vandalized the arts center in November 2007, the Standish High School alumni sent out a plea to all its members. The contribution will go a long way in helping to repair the damage caused by the vandals.

From its inception in 1989 as a small community theater, Schoolhouse Arts Center has grown into a thriving arts center with arts education and theater productions for all ages. The Schoolhouse was formed in the spring of 1988 by Hank and Nancy Beebe to produce community plays. In 1994, the Board of Directors purchased the old Standish High School building, using the basement for the main performance space, with first and second floor rooms as classroom space. The Standish High School alumni hold reunions every two years for the graduates of the old high school. The building holds fond memories for both Standish High alumni and Schoolhouse volunteers, and the Board enjoyed listening as the alumni shared their stories of favorite teachers and classes at the school.

In back (from left to right): Chip Burnham, Joe Schabhetl, Sue Voinche, Heidi Libby, Terri Plummer, Lesa Mosey, and Harry Bee from the Schoolhouse Board of Directors look on while Paul Stickney, President of the Board, receives a check for the vandalism relief fund from Joyce Wood-Regers, Herbert Woodbrey, and Bill Ciccarone of the Standish High School Alumni.

Early on Saturday morning, November 24, the set designer for the upcoming production of Little Women, The Broadway Musical, arrived at Schoolhouse Arts Center to put the finishing touches on the set. When she arrived she discovered that vandals had broken several windows and opened the front door. She called the president of the Schoolhouse board and the York County Sheriff's Department. While the set builder waited outside, the officer and the president entered the building to take pictures and gather evidence. At 9:00 a.m. a Boy Scout troop (Troop 50) from Limington arrived to do a service project. They were planning to clean the theater and first floor before the opening of Little Women. They were told to come back in a couple hours with gloves and shop vacs -- the cleaning would be a bit more extensive. As news of the vandalism spread, a small crowd started gathering outside the building, consisting of board members, volunteers, actors, theater goers, and friends. They waited on word from the officer as to when they could enter the building and start picking up the pieces of their beloved Schoolhouse, hoping that the damage would not be too extensive.

At last the time came when the officer allowed this small group to enter the building. They were shocked and saddened to see the extent of the damage. Several fire extinguishers had been used to cover the entire building with a thick layer of dust. Chairs had been thrown and broken, artwork pulled off the walls, a couple guitars thrown out a second story window, and paint had been splattered on walls and theater seats. The light board, spotlight, sound equipment, and video cameras had been thrown from the light booth into the theater below, and a small couch had been lit on fire and thrown into a nearby stream. After taking a few pictures, the clean up began. Word got out and even more volunteers arrived to help with the clean up. Crews of volunteers worked throughout the day and by 4:00 p.m. the windows were boarded up and the dust mostly gone. Another group of volunteers arrived on Sunday morning to continue the clean up work. It is expected that work on the building will continue through the week in order to be ready for the Friday night opening of Little Women.

Volunteers came from all over to help with the clean up. Many of them took time off from work or personal plans in order to help out. Volunteers included the Boy Scouts and their families from Troop 50: Matt Braley, Dylan Gammon, Ben, Nate, Jacob and Wayne Plummer, and Jordan, Cameron and Darryl Trafford. Other volunteers included Bruce, Eileen, Nicole, and Samantha Avery, Chris and C.J. Blanchard, Chip and Nancy Burnham, Morgan Costa, Marian and Sara Dodge, Peyton and Amber Dostie, Mrs. Farrington, Andy Goodwin, Keith Halliburton, Deb Hilton, Steve Hilton, Michael Hjort, Josh Hurd, Samantha Komulainen-York and Diane York, Jody McGowan, Mary Anne and Calvin Moison, Bob, Lesa and Shannon Mosey, Terri Plummer, Holly Polk, Nick Robertshaw, Judy and Stan Sanborn, Eric and Emily Sanborn, Joe and Sheila Schabhetl, Paul Stickney, Linda Sturdivant, Danielle, Dale and Dan Swasey, Allen Thomas, Becca and Susan Voinche, Jerry Walker, and many more. In addition, Cook's Hardware in Gorham donated face masks for the workers to protect them from the dust. Thank you all for your support!

Schoolhouse Arts Center is a non-profit organization, formed in the spring of 1988 by Hank and Nancy Beebe to produce community plays. In 1994, the Board of Directors purchased the old Standish High School building, and continued using the basement as the main performance space, with first and second floor rooms as classroom space. The vision of Schoolhouse is to bring to the community a fun, creative, educational, and supportive arts environment where people can grow, develop skills, and be involved in the arts. As well as community theater productions, Schoolhouse offers classes, camps, and workshops in theater, music, dance, and art. Schoolhouse Arts Center is located on Route 114, just north of the intersection of Routes 114 and 35 in Sebago Lake Village.

A festive holiday wreath, broken windows, strewn furniture, and overturned trash can adorn the front porch of the Schoolhouse Arts Center after vandals strike.

Less than one week before the opening of the musical Little Women at Schoolhouse Arts Center, vandals strike, breaking windows and wreaking havoc.

Several theater seats were splattered with paint and torn when vandals struck the Schoolhouse Arts Center.

Vandals threw the sound and lighting equipment from the light booth at Schoolhouse Arts Center.

A thick layer of dust discharged from the fire extinguishers covered everything after vandals struck Schoolhouse Arts Center.

Troop 50 from Limington helped with the clean up efforts at Schoolhouse Arts Center. From left to right: Ben Plummer, Matt Braley, Jordan Trafford.

Volunteers take a break from cleaning at Schoolhouse Arts Center. From left to right: Andy Goodwin, Deb Hilton, Nancy Burnham, Eileen Avery.