Matt Gentry | The Roanoke Times

Musicians perform as actors take the stage in the opening scene of New River Stage's production of "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" in the Wesley Foundation at Virginia Tech. The musicians are Cindy Blevins (piano), Brian Muller (guitar and mandolin), Clare Cannon (violin), Jacob Monroe (base) and Taylor Cobb (drums).

Actors sing during a rehearsal of the New River Stage's production of "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" in the Wesley Foundation. In this scene the cast is in church singing with Tom Sawyer. The cast members range in age from 6 to 60.

The community theater group's play had been scheduled to open Friday at Blacksburg High School. But when the school's gym roof collapsed Feb. 13, producers and directors had to scramble to find a new venue.

"I call it the adventures of 'The Adventures of Tom Sawyer,' " said Mary Korb, executive producer at New River Stage.

Then when school administrators decided that Blacksburg High School students would attend classes from 2 to 7 p.m. at Blacksburg Middle School, play rehearsals had to be moved from a 6 p.m. start time to 7:30 p.m.

About 10 participants in "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer," including assistant director Cindy Stauffer, are BHS students.

Having the play to focus on also helped students through their time away from school, which included 11 days of winter weather plus another five days off while the transition to the middle school was planned, said Stauffer, a junior.

"The play does help a lot, because during the three weeks when we had no school, having practices helped a lot because we could all be together," she said. "We bonded more because of the situation, I think."

Despite the schedule changes, she said, the cast and crew have supported the students, even making them peanut butter and jelly sandwiches to eat at rehearsal because they didn't have time for dinner.

"The adults and everybody not at BHS has been really understanding to our situation," Stauffer said. "They've really stepped up to the plate and given us a great opportunity, considering the situation."

And, as the saying goes, the show must go on.

"The producers were making phone calls trying to see what auditoriums were available, and it seemed like nothing was available," Korb said.

One member of the group suggested contacting the Wesley Foundation at Virginia Tech, which has a 300-seat auditorium. The week "Tom Sawyer" is scheduled to be performed is also the week of Virginia Tech's spring break, so students wouldn't be using the building.

So with a new venue secured, the 30-person cast could focus on rehearsing the adaptation of the Mark Twain novel -- not that they had stopped.

At the time of the roof collapse, rehearsals had been held at Blacksburg United Methodist Church. None of the play's props or equipment was inside the school.

The first rehearsal after BHS students started back to school was hectic, said director Alex Parrish, but the cast, ranging in age from 6 to 60, "really pulled it together."

"It was a challenge, and it had us concerned briefly, but there's been a really good outcome," Parrish said.