The Alpha Psi Omega Theatre Honor Society will be offering Valentine-O-Grams for those wishing to send a gift to someone special or a friend.

They will be offering these services Feb. 12-14 for $10 per song or sonnet. Each purchaser will be able to request either 14 lines of a Shakespearean love sonnet or 16 lines of a song to be performed for a special someone by a live performer.

Tommy Walker, a sophomore majoring in musical theatre, said it is the first time Alpha Psi Omega has done this fundraiser and hopes that it has a successful turnout.

“I am not nervous at all,” Walker said. “It will be fun. We jump at opportunities to perform.”

The event was inspired when Alpha Psi Omega was seeking new ways to display their artistic abilities to the UA community, and the chapter is very excited about the project.

Fliers and Facebook have been the main form of advertisement for the event, but they are hoping for news to spread by word of mouth as well.

“[Sonnets and Songs] is an unconventional and cool idea for this campus,” Walker said. “It is a more creative gift for Valentine’s Day and it is for a good cause.”

The money earned from Sonnets and Songs will support West Alabama AIDS Outreach, a nonprofit organization seeking to educate communities about HIV/AIDS and providing services to those affected by the disease.

In addition to the Sonnets and Songs fundraiser, Alpha Psi Omega also holds a spring performance to raise money for charity.

“It will be a good way to practice reciting Shakespeare and Alpha Psi Omega will be spread about amongst the student body,” Walker said. “This will increase knowledge about the organization and its talent.”

If a person does not have a song in mind or is unfamiliar with sonnets, Alpha Psi Omega will send suggestions of each that they can perform. Each member has at least one sonnet memorized and can learn lines from suggested songs.

Those interested in sending a Valentine-O-Gram can e-mail Walker to set up an appointment and either pay in advance or pay when the valentine is delivered.

“Sonnets will be recited (since it’s Shakespeare) and per the individual’s request, we can sing any song they desire… within certain limits,” said Barrett Guyton, a senior majoring in theater and healthcare management. “Let’s just say we probably won’t get up and sing ‘Baby Got Back’ unless someone pays us a good deal of money.”

The person purchasing the valentine chooses the time and place for the singers to perform, whether it is on the Quad or in a building.

“We have already had requests from students and faculty and are getting more every day as the word spreads,” Guyton said. “Some of our members have already expressed interest in wanting to send a Valentine-O-Gram to their significant other.”

Almost all members of Alpha Psi Omega will be participating at different times throughout the days of performances.

“We feel that once people see what we are doing, many more will take an interest,” Guyton said.

For more information about Sonnets and Songs, e-mail Tommy Walker at [email protected].