It's a huge endeavor, but nobody shows signs of panicking or is less than confident. After all, they are more than halfway to their goal.

At the center of the project is performing arts chairwoman Diana Pleasant, who has temporarily swapped her stacks of musical scores for the mountain of paperwork now arranged before her—schematic drawings, building codes and years of research leading into the project.

This journey began in 1998 when voters passed Measure B to fund much-needed renovations for the district's two high schools. Out of this fund, money was set aside for the Los Gatos High School theater. Constructed in 1924, it was designed by prominent California architect William Henry Weeks, who was also responsible for the Heritage Theater in Campbell.

There's no denying the theater needs work. The last renovation was in 1967, and unfortunately many decisions centered on financial expediency due to budget constraints.

"Nobody fought hard enough—there was no advocate for the theater when it was remodeled ... someone who knew what functions were important," says Pleasant.

Although some features like the acoustics were enhanced, a balcony was removed since adding a fire escape was too expensive. This resulted in valuable seats being lost. In addition, the "fly space"—the area above the stage that sets can be lifted into—evaporated when an air-conditioning unit was installed instead.

So when Pleasant realized the current renovation included "improvements" like filling in the orchestra pit to make way for handicap seating, there was an unpleasant sense of deja vu.

This is precisely why Pleasant's principal had cautionary words when it became apparent the bond money wouldn't be adequate for a proper renovation: "Diana, if you have plans for the theater, you'd better start raising money."

It was a hard sell in the beginning—"no" became a familiar refrain. But after each setback, she'd go back to the drawing board to find a viable solution. Eventually her tenacity paid off, and with the aid of theater architect Mark Hulbert, they were able to show that the original plans for renovating the theater were not acceptable.

Three months later, Hulbert came up with a design, one that not only accommodated the Americans with Disabilities Act, but also reclaimed the fly space and deepened the orchestra pit.

Tenacious is a word often used to describe Pleasant, who readily admits, "I'm sure there's a list of non-admirers in my wake, but the good thing about getting older is that you don't worry what people think, but about doing what's right."

Such an attitude might come from early pioneer roots. Her ancestors traveled by wagon train to reach their new home in Oregon five generations ago.

Or maybe it's her record with long shots. When her husband, John, was diagnosed with Hodgkin's disease in the 1960s, the prognosis was grim. The disease was treated as a death sentence and doctors at Stanford gave little room for hope. Unwilling to accept this fatal outlook, she began her own research, eventually winding up at a world-class research center in San Francisco.

Together the couple approached his illness with a sense of adventure and challenge to be overcome, always relying on humor. The results were staggering; John lived an additional 25 years and earned a place in medical books. People have even said, "Oh, we've read about you at Stanford."

John, also a teacher at Los Gatos High School, was a paraplegic during his remaining years and taught in a wheelchair. This experience contributed toward Pleasant's understanding of the needs of the disabled, how they strive to maintain dignity while navigating around difficult situations.

"Imagine someone stopping the show to figure out how to get the lift up while everyone stares," she explains.

The New Millennium Foundation adopted the TIP project two years ago and work began in earnest. In order to convince others of the worthiness of the project, Pleasant began making the rounds with her PowerPoint presentation, outlining how this additional money, when used in conjunction with the bond money, would truly improve the theater. Otherwise, says Pleasant, "We would be putting lots of money into making it worse."

Fundraising is of course a top priority. If the additional funds are not raised by the end of December, the rest of the building—the art room and social studies—could fall behind. The school district has put such faith in the theater project, there is no fallback plan if the additional funds are not raised. Everything is in place—the drawings, engineers and committees—because there is such fierce commitment to the plan.

It's enough to cause anyone sleepless nights, but Pleasant says she's simply too exhausted by the end of the day to do anything but sleep. There's just too much work to do.

A series of fundraising dinners have been planned, one of which is being held at Sandy Decker's home—not in her role as the mayor, though, but as a personal supporter.

"I have a special love for the theater; it's an amazing, creative outlook," she says. In fact, when younger, Decker performed in plays and was a dancer and would have loved a career in the theater.

An ongoing fundraiser is the "Seat of Honor Campaign," which allows donors of a $1,000 contribution to have an enscribed plaque on a seat in the theater. Alumna and veteran actress Olivia de Havilland, a supporter of the TIP project, will be purchasing one herself once the Eurodollar improves.

Then Oct. 26 is Get Behind the Theater, a reception and band concert with the San Jose Wind Ensemble.

A celebrity waiter breakfast is scheduled for Nov. 18, with many well-known sports, musical and news figures schlepping trays and pouring coffee.

Many individual donors and organizations have graciously given money, too. Pleasant herself has donated $10,000 of her own money toward the project. "How can you ask people to give money if you haven't given yourself?"

Committee member Paul Dubois is donating his services for the security system.

But while the building itself may need work, the performing arts program is solid. A tradition of quality has been established that has been enhanced over the years. As evidence of the commitment many feel, some graduates from 20 years ago still attend events today.

There is a natural progression as students come into high school. The freshmen come in quite shy and are more comfortable hiding out in a choir of 60. But by their senior year, students are displaying newfound confidence and have come out of their shells. This brings its own set of challenges, as managing freshmen is a lot easier than managing seniors who have developed their own opinions and are more difficult to corral, Pleasant says with a laugh.

Usually about one-quarter of the students are highly experienced, one-quarter have no experience and the other half fall somewhere in between. The more experienced students naturally come in with higher expectations and set an example. They generously share with others and mentor them as well.

There is room for even the most musically challenged student, contrary to what many people think. Pleasant maintains nobody is tone-deaf. Some may take longer to learn pitch and the coordination of the vocal apparatus, but they do learn.

The students have embraced the project as a worthwhile challenge rather than a criticism of the building itself. Nobody complains about the theater's limitations; they are used to the little oddities—like walking outside to get to the other side of the theater since there is no backstage ... well, maybe a little grumbling when it's raining. And since there is no running water, someone just makes a quick dash to 7-Eleven when the need arises. Dealing with sets that are too big and can't get fit through the door just goes along with the territory.

"It's kind of a victory to overcome; we do so many things to fool our audiences, who are completely unaware," she says. It's part of show biz, creating illusion. But when the renovation is complete, there will be no illusions about the new amenities the theater will have: a new lobby, dressing rooms, a loading dock and a shop area, to name a few.

One alumnus who knows firsthand the benefits the theater afforded is Academy Award winner Dan Jinks from the class of 1981. He performed in two plays and four musicals while in high school and remembers his drama teacher, Karen Randall, fondly. "She was fantastic. Everybody should have a teacher that good; she never stopped learning," says Jinks.

He was thrilled to hear about the remodeling project. "I have a lot of incredible memories of that place. But with sports and other programs, theater usually gets the short shrift."

Many agree and would love to see the arts given their due. "It's team building without a ball," says Decker. "They learn responsibility and how to take risks, to step out and be someone else for a moment."

Some of the fundraising eventsplanned for the Los Gatos High School Theater Improvement Project include:

•Oct. 26—"Get Behind Our Theatre," 12:30 p.m. reception at the Forbes Mills Steakhouse and 3 p.m. concert at the LGHS theater

•Nov. 18—Celebrity Waiter Breakfast, 7:30­9:30 a.m.

•Ongoing—"Seat of Honor" campaign, $1,000 donation per seat

•"Get Behind Our Theatre!" shorts available for $20

For more information: on the concert, call 408.230.9051; on the TIP project, call Gayle Jones at 408.888.6197.