Roving Peregrine Theatre Company founding artistic director Heather Wallen holds up one of the ornaments from the tree, which features a wish list item on its back. Photo by Tabitha Johnston

SHEPHERDSTOWN — For Inwood resident Heather Wallen, running a nonprofit theater has proven to be a worthwhile, though not inexpensive, passion project. For this reason, the founding artistic director of the Roving Peregrine Theatre has begun seeking out help from the community, through a unique twist on a popular holiday giving opportunity.

By the entryway of Black Box Arts Center, a Donation Tree has been placed, featuring ornaments with items that will be needed by the center’s resident theater company over the coming year. QR codes have been attached to each ornament, enabling the items to be ordered immediately from the theater’s Amazon wish list and sent directly to the center.

“We’re surviving on donations, at the moment, because the grant situation is terrible, for various reasons,” Wallen said.

She said that the idea for the Donation Tree was inspired by the successful Angel Tree program run by the Salvation Army, which places artificial Christmas trees with ornaments, listing gift ideas for particular children in need, at major stores that sell those gifts.

“The Donation Tree has proven very popular,” Wallen said. “We find that people enjoy donating a thing, rather than just money, because it allows them to see more clearly where their money is going. We do takes checks and cash, but there are a number of things that we need to keep the business running, that we realized people might be open to donating instead.”

Wish list items and their corresponding QR codes can be found on the back of these and the other ornaments on the Donation Tree in the Black Box Arts Center. Photo by Tabitha Johnston

She noted that this is the second year the Donation Tree has been featured at the Black Box Arts Center.

“Last Christmas, we got a lot of great things that we really needed. I’m really grateful for that,” Wallen said. “We started with just putting our Amazing wish list up for people to donate items from. It worked okay, but when we added the tree with the shiny ornaments that was right there as people walked through the door, it gave visitors a stronger visual of what their donations were actually accomplishing.”

Ornaments on the tree use different colors, to indicate the price point they belong to: $20 and under, $21-$50, $51-$99 and $100 and up. The top items on the list are always power tools, as they are needed for set design, while the least expensive items on the list include basic necessities like pencil sticks, glue sticks, window cleaner and toilet paper.

“These are things that people don’t think about, that we go through like crazy,” Wallen said. “And then there’s a few fun things on there, as well, for the kids program or the script library — some fun stuff. So, if somebody wants to donate something more interesting than glue sticks, they have the ability to do so.”

The Black Box Arts Center is located at 113 South Princess Street. The Donation Tree can be accessed on most days and always prior to and after any showtime.

The Donation Tree stands by the front door of the Black Box Arts Center. Photo by Tabitha Johnston