NEEDED PROPS

We are coming closer to the play and are needing more and more props that you may have around your house. This is only the first of a couple of posts regarding items we need to borrow. If you have any of these items. please put your name on/in them and leave them in the sanctuary during practice times (letting us know you have done so).
We need BENCHES. Benches of all types. Ideally we would like to use piano benches. We will take care of them, but please do not bring special, antique benches!
We also need INSTRUMENTS. Old instruments of the marching band variety are best. They do not have to be in working condition. They just need to appear to be in working condition. Please label these instruments. We will take very good care of them-they are only used briefly in the last scene.

THANK YOU!

CRAFT DAY

Tomorrow starting at 2:00 p.m. we will be having a craft day. We will be working on hats, laurels, etc. If you are even remotely interested in helping, please come-there will be a job for everyone!
You can meet in the sanctuary and move down to the costume room.

GREAT JOB!!!

We just wanted to take a moment to tell you all what a great job you did today. It may have felt really rough, but overall it was very productive. Please remember to gather the other pieces of your costumes you may still need (mostly shoes, socks, shirts, etc.). If you need help with figuring this out, please ask soon. The closer we get to the show, the harder it is to address everyone's needs!
Everyone should have a box for their costume asap. When we move to Taylor Road Baptist Church next Monday, you will transfer and store your costume and props in this box.
Thank you so much for your hard work and dedication! This will be a great show and we hope you all have fun performing!

Boxes and Extras

Mrs. Geiger brought a copy paper box to practice the other day, telling the students they need a similar one in which to store their costume pieces. We need everyone to bring their boxes on Monday. They can be cardboard, rubbermaid, sterilite, whatever, as long as they are atleast as big as a copy paper box. They need the student's name on them.
Also, if you have discussed bringing anything for us to use, Monday is your day to bring it.

MONDAY'S PRACTICE...at Eastwood

First Run-Thru
The Music Man
Monday, April 25, 2011

If you have been a part of this process before, the first run-thru experience is probably stuck in your memory forever. It can be a very CRAZY day! These instructions are meant to help make the process more smooth and pass by more quickly. After 8 years of working out problems, we hope it gets better each year.
Here are some things to remember:
***We will be practicing from 2:00 p.m. until we’re done. This is the first opportunity to see problems that can only be seen when everyone is there and when the play is done in order. EVERYONE MUST BE THERE!
***Since we will be there for somewhere around 4-5 hours, your children will need something to do. They may bring game systems, but may not share these systems. They may bring books, card games, coloring, etc. We usually try to take the younger children to an outside area and let them play during down time. This may appear to be time wasted, but we must go in order and we will need them through-out. So, SEND SOMETHING FOR YOUR CHILDREN TO DO. Lots of the children will have homework and will need to complete that. We make everyone quiet down so that work can be completed. Feel free to come and sit in for a while with your child to help them get homework done or just to watch. The projected end time is around 7:00 p.m.
***FOOD- Your children will be very hungry. You will need to send something for supper that does not need to be heated. We will have access to refrigerators, but not microwaves. If 10 kids need to use microwaves, we have multiplied preparation time to exceed our limited break time. You can only imagine what happens when that number rises. We will have a very quick meal together, so think easy and quick. ***Also, DO NOT plan to drop off a meal from a fast food restaurant. If your child would like to bring a fast food meal, send it with them and we will refrigerate. Please follow these directions. It can be very frustrating when someone throws us off by having to eat at a different time-we move as a group.
***When you get there, go directly to your seat and be ready to begin. The more quickly we begin, the sooner we get done!
***Students may NOT leave early. Please do not show up expecting to tell us you have to take your child early. We must know all conflicts ahead of time. During practice we may look idle, but we are so busy thinking through large obstacles.

I think that is it! Please remember to check the blog frequently for updates.
Thank you for your tremendous commitment!

Leaving Practice Early

PLease do not think this targets anyone, it does not. There were several lower school students who left early yesterday. That generally is not a problem if it's only 15 or so minutes early. The closer we get, however, to next week, the worse that situation can get. A few things to remember:
If your child HAS to leave early, you MUST email me to let me know ahead of time.
Next Monday is the first run-thru and no one can leave early.
When in practice, if you ask me if your child can leave early, I will either say yes, while not really paying attention because there is so much going on that I am sorting through or I will tell you know, get flustered, and it all goes down hill. :)

The best rule of thumb is to communicate anything important via email-that includes early departure. That may sound harsh, but it is not meant that way. It's just the best way we know to prevent chaos and frustration on all sides.

Than you for your hard work-we know it's hard for your family to commit so heavily to ine activity, but we appreciate it and I am positive you will be pleased with the outcome. The kids are doing a fantastic job and we had a really great practice yesterday. Let's keep up the good work!

Costume Help-NOT just sewing

If you have a free afternoon, come on down to the costume room (across from the kindergarten rooms) and we’ll put you to work. Pending projects:

1. Hand sewing: attaching decorative ribbons, etc. onto finished costumes
2. 5 floral laurels for Grecian urn women
3. Costume repair, iron on patches, basic hems
4. Hats – Did you know Coco Channel got her start in millinery?
5. Errands: we’ll give you a list of specific items we need (like ribbons from Hobby Lobby in specific hues).
6. Labeling costumes with student names
7. Some arts and crafts projects – you know who you are. At least, drop by and help me figure out how to do what I need to do.


Thanks
Dawn

SCHEDULE UPDATE

There has, yet again, been a schedule update. It does not change for MOST of you, but MAIN ROLES. I apologize for having to do this. There is just so much "big work" that has to be done with the chorus, we need the extra time to catch all the main roles work after they leave. We generally try not to schedule practices this long, but have had to in the past. This year's music is some of the hardest we tackle and takes a lot of time to master.
Please be positive and flexible when adapting to this change. Students are encouraged to do their homework during down time and are welcome to bring snacks. If there is a conflict with work schedules, let me know asap. This is the last stretch and it WILL be worth it when we're done. It is coming along splendidly. Thank you for your hard work!

MORE Costume Instructions-CHILDREN

To the parents of students playing children in The Music Man:
If your son or daughter is portraying someone younger than a teenager we would like for them to come to practice on Monday with their costumes on. We will pin their hems, check for blending, etc. They may not have all the pieces yet, but if they can put on what they have that would be great. Their costumes will be laid out in the sanctuary on the piano side. They can find theirs as soon as they arrive, put it on and return to their places for roll call. It would be very helpful if they could wear the shoes they are going to wear if they already know. Dark, preferably black, tights for girls/ dark socks for boys. Some may not wear black so don’t buy, just put them in knee socks so that we can get the look. If anyone has a child’s cotton blouse with a big collar, please bring it so that we can compare collars with the ones we have.
Thanks for your help.
Dawn Geiger

BIG CHANGE!!!

Due to some major conflicts, the first run-thru has been changed from Tuesday, April 26, to MONDAY, April 25. We hope this helps, especially with volleyball tryouts and apologize for not catching the conflict earlier.
We have also updated next week's times to reflect the changed SAT schedule.
Please pay close attention and mark your calendars. Again, thank you for your patience!

Costume Instructions-TIME SENSITIVE INFORMATION

Lower School parents: It’s time to “shop” in the costume closet! Please come to rehearsal early on Monday or Friday and bring your child down to the rooms across from the kindergarten hall between 4 and 5. If your child is needed on stage, Mrs. Givens will call my cell phone.

I will have the outfits out that we have on hand and you and your child can work together to find one that works. If we don’t have anything on hand, then we will know to look for specific items for your child. If you cannot work out the Monday or Friday/ 4-5 time, then contact me and we can work out an appointment. I will be on hand on both days from 2-5. (I will not be here on Tuesday of this week.)

We need for every elementary actor and actress to visit the costume closet this week with their parent or a designated adult. Please accompany them since we will need to try things on, pin alterations, mark the costumes with their names and hang them neatly back up. Thanks for your help. We are very excited about this year’s performance of The Music Man.

Dawn Geiger

Attendance and Responsibility

We appreciate your commitment to this year's production of The Music Man. There are a few items I need to explain.
Attendance:
There are few events that constitute an excused absence from play practice.
They are as follows:
1. Illness of actor
2. Death in actor's immediate family
3. Unavoidable events that are school-related (i.e. awards bamquet, track meet, volleyball tryouts)
4. A job that cannot be resceduled until closer to the play-all actors MUST be at all practices the last 2 weeks of practice-if you need to take vacation from your job, you must.
Events that DO NOT constitute an excused absence:
1. Family Vacation
2. College Visits (we have had a few of these already, but they are no longer cleared-schedule them at another time)
3. Doctor's appointments that CAN be rescheduled
4. Any type of lessons (the last 3 weeks of practice)

Please understand this is not meant to punish the actors in any way, but are simply the rules we've always followed. If you have a conflict with any date on the calendar, let me know ASAP. If you have an unexcused event, try to reschedule-we have replaced actors as close as the week of the play, due to breaking of the covenant responsibilities.

The second item to clear up is the area of responsibility. This is two-fold. The first part belonging to the students. Most are not doing their best. We need them to treat the practice time and their practice time at home (each day) as they would a job and as they are working unto the Lord. They seem to be giving it a half effort and we want them to succeed and do their best. We will begin repremanding them for not knowing their lines and not practicing their songs (this mainly relates to UPPER SCHOOL main roles).
The second part of this area belongs to you, the parents. If you have not turned in your volunteer forms, covenants, and fees, please do so immediately to the upper school office. We need LOTS of help to make this happen and it is now "crunch-time."

Again, thank you so much for your willingness to make Eastwood's drama program exist! We know you have a hard job, and that your children are VERY busy. Let's begin this next week of practice with a great attitude and our best efforts.
Please let us know if you have any questions! DO NOT hesitate to call and/or email (email is the BEST way to get us :).