Michaela Shafter Porte and Betty Arnold King, two Mission Bay High School (MBHS) alumni from the class of 1977, recently gave their time and effort to help refurbish the MBHS auditorium — just in time for a schoolwide talent show on Thursday, March 1 and more school events on the way. “I was talking to Betty at one of the Mission Bay alumni events and we talked about fixing the auditorium,” Porte said. “Her husband and her brother-in-law had worked for a theater company, so they had experience with stage repair.” Porte and Arnold King teamed up with Arnold King’s husband, Doug, his brother, Don, as well as a handful of volunteers, to help install a new backdrop and a new set of curtains. “The backdrop was in terrible shape and the curtains were badly ripped,” said Betty Arnold King. “With the budget cuts to the public schools, there isn’t enough money to replace those types of things.” So, as a result of some brainstorming, the effort was afoot. And the effort was not lost on those close to the program today. “We are so happy to see our alumni giving back to the arts. We are working hard every year to improve our performance space at Mission Bay and these new curtains help immensely. We can have pride in our space knowing those tattered curtains are no more,” said MBHS musical director Jean-Paul Balmat. Much of Porte’s inspiration came because of fond memories of her days at Mission Bay High and time spent in the school’s drama department during the mid-1970s under retired teacher Dennis Drake. “We had a great time,” said Arnold King. “Our drama department was very dynamic and we had a lot of talent. We used to perform three shows every year, which included a comedy and a musical, and our drama program also attracted students from outside the area because they would transfer to Mission Bay.” Drake retired more than a decade ago, but he is still remembered. “Mr. Drake was a good teacher,” said Arnold King. “He let us do our own thing and we were very inspired by him and by Mr. Ray Vinole (former MBHS musical director). Both Mr. Drake and Mr. Vinole were very dedicated to their work.” Vinole retired from Mission Bay High in 2000. The school’s tradition of drama and music continues today with Mike Baum in Drake’s former role of the drama teacher and Balmat — one of Vinole’s former students — as the current music teacher.