Phase One Is Complete
A few months ago, High Tide having its own tech booth felt very far away.
At the time, it was just conversations. Sketches. Measurements. A lot of “what ifs.” Like most things at High Tide, it started with a vision that felt slightly too ambitious for where we currently were. But one of the things I love most about this company is that people here keep believing in building things before they feel fully possible.
Today, I get to say something really exciting:
High Tide’s first permanent tech booth is built.
And last night, we reached another huge milestone. Thanks to the generosity of our community, LEVEL UP has officially raised $3,000, which means we are halfway to our $6,000 goal.
That is a big deal.
For people who may not know the behind-the-scenes reality of producing theatre, this campaign is about something very simple: High Tide has been creating full productions without owning the technical equipment needed to run them.
For years, we have relied on borrowed equipment, temporary setups, problem-solving, favors, late nights, and a whole lot of generosity from the people around us. Our artists and technicians have continued to make it work, but “making it work” is not the same thing as building something sustainable.
This campaign is how we change that.
Phase one is complete. The booth itself now exists.
Seeing it above the stage during Little Shop of Horrors has been emotional in a way I was not fully prepared for. It is not just a booth. It is a sign that High Tide is growing. It is a sign that we are building real infrastructure. It is a sign that this company is moving from temporary solutions toward a more sustainable future.
This project would not exist without the people who stepped up to make it happen.
Our Little Shop tech team has been working overtime to make the move into the loft happen before opening night. They have been balancing rehearsals, builds, troubleshooting, and late nights all at once, and their dedication to this company constantly amazes me.
Stephen Williams, who also designed and constructed our Little Shop of Horrors set, built the entire booth. Watching someone help literally build the infrastructure of this organization with their own hands has been incredibly special.
And our community has shown up, too.
Every single member of High Tide’s Board of Directors has donated to LEVEL UP. Donors have invested in the campaign. Volunteers have given their time and labor. Audience members have shared posts, encouraged us, and reminded us that this work matters.
Internally, we have jokingly started calling the booth the “tech treehouse” because you have to climb a ladder to get into it. The name stuck almost immediately. And honestly, I think it says a lot about High Tide itself. This company has always been built with creativity, scrappiness, collaboration, and a little bit of chaos held together by people who care deeply about what we are creating.
But now we are entering the most important part of the campaign.
The booth is built.
Now we need to fill it.
Right now, the booth does not yet have the High Tide-owned equipment needed to power our productions moving forward. An empty booth cannot run a show.
Phase two of LEVEL UP is about purchasing the technical equipment, systems, and tools our artists and technicians need for every production. It is about creating a foundation that will serve High Tide not just for one show, but for years to come.
We are halfway there.
And this is the moment where momentum matters.
If you have ever attended a High Tide show, performed with us, volunteered with us, donated, shared a post, brought a friend, or believed in this little theatre company from the sidelines, I hope you will consider helping us take this next step.
We have come so far.
Now we need your help to finish what we started.
