Oswego teacher about to make a killer career exit

The curtain is about to close on an amazing teaching career in Oswego.

Dave Barnes, who has taught at Oswego High School for more than 30 years, will retire at the end of this school year.

Dave and his wife, Donna, who retired two years ago, have directed plays and musicals at OHS throughout that time. Their shows have entertained and thrilled audiences.

But as impressive as the shows are, there are things that go on behind the scenes that are even more impressive.

There is a wide range of people who are involved in the productions. Saturdays during show production are usually set construction days. You'll not only find tech people working on the set, but performers are helping out, as well. The shows at OHS often have elaborate sets, so having extra people to work on the sets helps. But another benefit from having everyone work on the set is that the entire company has a chance to be together and work together.

There are also plenty of students' parents who help, as well as parents of alumni. They enjoy being a part of the show and seeing the students, so they continue to help.

Dave and Donna periodically send out a newsletter to alumni, with updates on what people are doing. It's a great way for people to keep in touch. If you walk the halls backstage at OHS, you'll not only see the newsletter, but letters from alumni to Dave and Donna to tell them about what's going on in their lives.

Part of Dave's job is to provide lighting and sound for events that are held in the auditorium. He does a great job not only enlisting students to help provide technical assistance, but making sure that they can run things themselves. For many events, students are taking the lead and running the show.

Dave and Donna played an important role in the auditorium even being built. They were strong advocates for its construction. They have tirelessly invested themselves in a variety of ways to make the auditorium at OHS a terrific place to enjoy a performance.

Dave is also in charge of TV4, a program that runs every day school is in session. It's a creative way to communicate announcements and school news to students at the beginning of the day. A lot of students have gotten experience writing scripts, running camera and sound and delivering the news on TV4.

It could be easy for someone in any job for a long time to lose some of their passion for what they're doing. That is certainly not the case for Dave. I've had the privilege to get to know him just a little over the years. He continues to talk with great passion about students and teaching.

Dave's final show at OHS is Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street . The show is at 7 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday at the OHS Performing Arts Centre. It's a challenging show for the cast and crew alike. And it's important to know that the subject matter is intense and not appropriate for young children.

The show has a terrific cast. The crew has some people with great experience and it should be a great show.

Dave Barnes has worked behind the scenes for more than 30 years in our community. He's helped provide great experiences for audiences and student performers alike in an auditorium that would not be what it is today without his passion and dedication.

Our community is a richer place because Dave and Donna Barnes have been a part of it.

jim.connon@gmail.com