Great Opening Weekend! Don't forget to come on Thursday

Hi Everyone,

We had such a great opening weekend and I hope that you have had an enjoyable few days off. It's time to get back to Oz. Tomorrow will be our pick up rehearsal to run through the entire show with music and tech.  This is our chance to get back on track and be ready for our second weekend audiences. We will be at the Playhouse and  begin at 3:15 and should be finished by 6:00. It is very important that you are ready so go over your lines, songs and dances today.

See you in Oz tomorrow,
Dee Ann

Happy Production Week!

This is it everyone, the best week in the whole rehearsal schedule. We get to wear our costumes and make up and run through the whole show 4 times before Opening Night on Friday.
In order to keep this week fun and not frightening:

• You must come straight to rehearsal ( no stopping for coffee or visiting with friends) 
• Get your costume on right away
• Report to the make up table with your name on it and get your make up on. (see the list above for make up days)
• Be ready and stay focused.
• Remember our 4 backstage D's "Always Do what Deana Directs you to Do"
• Remember our 4 onstage E's "Energy, Enthusiasm, Enunciation and Entrances"

Dates and times for Performances
4 Friday (yes, that's this Friday!) - Make up call (when you need to be here) 4:30  Curtain 7:00
5 Saturday - Make up call 4:30 Curtain 7:00
6 Sunday - Make up call 12:30 Curtain 3:00

See you in Oz!

Oz Reminders for Parents and Actors

Dear Actors and Parents,

With only a few rehearsals left until we open, I would like to share some reminders with you.

Attendance: It is crucial to the welfare of our show and our fellow actors that each actor be at every rehearsal and stay for the duration of the rehearsal. We will do our best to be finished at the specified time but there may be rehearsals that will run over. I will only keep us late if I feel that it is necessary. Remember that this is an important commitment.

Water Bottles: Each actor must supply their own water bottle that does not spill when knocked over. We will keep the water bottles at the Playhouse and refill for each performance. Please write the actors name clearly on the bottle. Siblings need to have their own bottle. No sharing, please.

Break-a-leg wishes: Send a message in the program to your favorite actor. Tell them they’re fantastic, that you’re proud of them, that you love them and to break a leg! Only $5 buys you a space to fill with two or 3 lines of love. Email your Break-a-leg messages to Dee Ann at deeann@boydston.us  write Break-a-leg in the subject line. Lauretta Heaney will be collecting the Break-a-leg money. This is a great way to communicate with your actor that you are proud of them and the program makes a nice keepsake. The $5 donation also helps us offset the printing costs for the programs and posters.  Deadline to email Break-a-Leg wishes is this coming Saturday, October 29.

Ushers Needed: Ushers are needed for each performance to take tickets and pass out programs. When you volunteer to usher you get to see the show that night for free. If you would like to volunteer please contact Lauretta at lauretta.heaney@gmail.com or leave a message for her at the Playhouse.

Cookies: We need cookie donations for the refreshment table for each weekend of performances. The money from the refreshment jar on our refreshment table goes to help fund our show and into the Pend Oreille Player Scholarship fund that provides scholarship money to our seniors - both are very good causes. Please bake ( or buy ) a batch of cookies and leave them in the Playhouse Kitchen on performance weekends. 

Cast Snacks: This is a long show and the kids need to have a snack provided at intermission. We are in need of healthy finger-food style snacks such as pretzels, popcorn, small cut up veggies, dried fruit, apples, nuts, etc., nothing messy please.  You may bring your Cast Snack donation to the Playhouse and leave it in the kitchen. Please mark it clearly for Cast Snacks.

Costumes: Girls need to come to all dress rehearsals and performances in their white tank top, black tights and light colored shorts and boys must come in white t shirts and light colored shorts. These pre-costume clothes should be worn under their street clothes. Girls need to provide their own black tights and boys their own block socks. Each actor needs to provide their own pair of black soft soled shoes - not tennis shoes. If you have questions or cannot provide these costume items, please contact our costumer Donna Maki dnnmk55@gmail.com .
Each actor needs a bag, with their name on it, to keep their street clothes in.

Make up: Each actor needs to supply their own mascara. Please label the mascara with the actors name. You can buy mascara pretty cheaply at Ben Franklin or if you are in Spokane or Cd’A they often have it at the Dollar Store.

Tickets: Please purchase your tickets early as seating is limited. You may buy tickets online at http://www.pendoreilleplayers.org  or at the Playhouse Box Office. To get the best ticket prices, purchase a  Punch Card. Punch Card Information is available on the Wizard of Oz blog http://www.popawizardofoz.blogspot.com/  or at the Playhouse Box Office.

POPA Wizard of Oz blog: It is imperative that both parents and actors check the blog on a regular basis. I will be posting any changes to schedule and rehearsal notes and reminders on the blog. It is the best place for you to go to stay informed.
 http://www.popawizardofoz.blogspot.com/

This is a fantastic cast and you all have been very supportive parents. Thanks you so much for the privilege of working with all of you. I know that we are going to have a great adventure as we continue our travels through Oz over the next two weeks of rehearsals and then our three weekends of performance. If you have any scheduling questions, please check the blog http://www.popawizardofoz.blogspot.com/. The rehearsal and performance schedule is posted there. If you have any questions, please call me at 437-1060 or email at deeann@boydston.us.

See you in Oz,
Dee Ann Boydston
Director

Special Grip Rehearsal Oct. 26

Hi Everyone,
Great rehearsals this week. I hope that you are telling everyone what an amazing show we have and that they had better get their tickets early.  Please read the info below about the grip rehearsal and see if you need to attend. This is a very important rehearsal and we need everyone who is helping to change the set to be there. If you did not read the post entitled "Countdown Continues - 3 weeks to Oz" then after you read this post keep scrolling down so that you can read that one as well. Be sure and leave me a comment.

Grip Rehearsal: There will be a rehearsal to practice the scene changes next Wednesday, the 26, from 3:15 - 5:30. This will give us a chance to get all of the kinks worked out so that our scene changes are fast and efficient. This is a very important rehearsal, so if you are a grip in any of the scenes please plan on attending. If I left your name off of the list below and you know that you help to change the set then please check with me to see whether or not you need to be at the Grip rehearsal.
Act One Grips: Keegan, Amanda, Jenna, Jonathan, Lausaundra, Emily K., Erica, Jahmilah, Aamish, Elissa, KIndle, Kylyah, Mikey, Ski, Brd, Brandon, Tori, Christina, Scott, Josiah, Megan, Emma, Katie, Sunny, Frances
Act Two Grips: Keegan, Amanda, Jenna, Scott, Tyrian, Jonathan, Winkies, Emily K., Lasaundra, Erica, Jahmilah,  Autumn, Sarah

Countdown Continues - 3 Weeks to Oz

Hello Everyone,
I just want to say what an amazing cast you are. We worked really hard this last week and you all came through beautifully.  We have finished all of our blocking and choreography and are ready to start run-throughs. That puts us right on schedule. The cake is baked and now we are ready to frost it.
Please read this week's reminder and then be sure that your parents read the Parent's Note.

Reminders for this week:

We will be working with our accompanist for the first time on Monday. Please go over all of your songs with your CDs so that you are ready to sing and dance. It will sound a little different with the piano but not much.

Practice your dances!!!! I can't say this too many times. You must know your dance moves. 

NO SCRIPTS ON STAGE ONCE WE GET TO THE PLAYHOUSE! Clerisa will be prompting, but remember, you hold things up if you don't know your lines. So go over them everyday.

Grips: If you are doing any gripping in either Act 1 or Act 2 please go over your grip plan so that you know what you are supposed to be moving and what scene you are moving it in. 

THURSDAY IS COSTUME DAY: Remember that we don't have private changing spaces at the Playhouse so you need to wear your white tanktops for girls, t-shirts for boys, & light colored shorts to rehearsal. Wear them under your regular clothes so that you can easily change into your costume.

Please bring a bag with your name on it to put your regular clothes in so that nothing gets lost.

Special Note to Parents:
Tickets:  To get the best seats, buy your tickets now. You may purchase them at the Playhouse or online www.pendorilleplayers.org. The tickets prices are Adults: $10 in advance or $12 at the door. Children 18 and under are $5, small children are free if they sit on a lap. If you would like your younger child to have a seat then you must purchase one.  There is a slight processing fee if you buy your tickets online.  The best family discount is to buy the Punch Card. Punch Card information is available at the top of this blog, click on the tab that says "Punch Cards".
Posters: We need lots of people to hang posters in their area. Please let Lauretta know if you are able  to hang posters in your local school, businesses, library, etc.  lauretta.heaney@gmail.com
Volunteers: There are still lots of volunteer opportunities and needs. If you have not filled in your volunteer form and turned it in to Lauretta or to me, please take a moment and read about the different jobs that need doing and fill out the form.  Click on the Volunteer tab at the top of this blog.
Thank you, parents, for sharing your wonderful and talented kids with us.

See Everyone on Monday at the Playhouse at 3:15,
Dee Ann

Last week at the Middle School

Hey Everyone in Oz,

This is our last week of rehearsals at the Middle School. This is also our last week of blocking!!!! That means that our cake is almost ready to bake - yummmy.

Pay attention to these important things:
Next week we will be back at the Playhouse. We will have a different rehearsal schedule - Monday, Tuesday and Thursday from 3:15 - 6:00. Everyone will need to stay until 6:00. We have lots of rehearsing to do and everyone is very important.

Remember to work on your lines and songs. Everything needs to be completely memorized when we get to the Playhouse. Once we are at the Playhouse there will be no books allowed on stage. This is the week to really get your lines down.

Here is a very important message from our costumer. Please read it and then have your parents read it:

Costuming this show is getting very involved and very expensive, so I am asking parents to please look in your closets, boxes, attics, or wherever the old stuff is and help me find the following.

I still need three munchkin outfits. I am using shiny, frilly, some are those princess Halloween costume type thing. The sizes are one size 12 girl, one size 14/16 girl, or tiny junior size and one size 3to 5 junior.

I still need 11 green outfits or dresses for the emerald city, so of course think pretty and green. The sizes range from a 7/8 girls to women's sizes. Most of what I need is girls sizes but if they are bigger and can be cut down that works too. The boys costumes are pretty much done.

I also need to make six aprons for the emerald city so if you have any green material, they don't all have to match.

We need two men's black turtlenecks, one size small and one size medium.

These kids all need black soft sole shoes, I don't have a complete list of who needs what yet, some of the parents will provide these. If you have any old kids ballet slippers we would certainly take them and see who they would fit.

We have no sponsors for this show so the budget for the costumes is coming from donations and ticket sales. If you have items or can make a donation, please drop them off at the Playhouse office or call Donna 509-671-1442 for pick up.

Thanks so much

Donna Maki

 

Here is a message from Me:

Don't forget that you will need to provide a white tank top for girls and a white t shirt for boys and light colored shorts to  wear under your costumes so that we can make quick and easy costume changes backstage. You also need to provide black soft soled shoes. Boys need to provide their own black socks. Think ahead. You will need your tanks, t shirts, shorts, shoes and socks by the next costume day on Oct. 20.

Parents: Don't forget to check out the information at the top of this blog for Volunteer opportunities and ticket information.

See you all at the Middle School on Tuesday,

Dee Ann

Only 5 Weeks Until We Open!!!!

Hey Everyone in Oz,

What an interesting week we had -  Good rehearsals, excellent evacuation, lots of great costumes. Did you realize that we are getting close to our opening night. Five weeks may sound like a long time but it is going to go very quickly. Below you will find information about Run through rehearsals, When we are off book, Costume information and Ticket info. Please read everything and then tell your parents to read it, as well.

Actors please know the scene before we block it and then have it memorized by the time that we run it again. On Tuesday we are running Act 1 sc 5 - 7: Twister, Munchkinland, Witch in Munchkinland

and Act 2 sc. 1 - 5: Emerald City, Meeting Oz, Leaving Oz, Witch and Winkies. All of those scenes should be memorized by Tuesday.  Once we have worked on a scene you need to be practicing you lines, dances and songs on your own. I don’t want to keep reteaching things that we have already learned.

Back At the Playhouse - We are back at the Playhouse on October 17. Don't forget to arrange for transportation from School to the Playhouse. We will be starting at 3:15 so you can't hang out after school you have to come straight to the playhouse.  Once we start rehearsing at the Playhouse we will be off book. That means no scripts on stage, everything memorized.

Costumes:
There are many quick costume changes in this show. To make it the easiest and most modest we ask that each actor provide their own white tank top, for girls and white T shirt for boys and light colored shorts that can be worn underneath their costume. Each actor, unless otherwise directed by our costumer, is also asked to provide their own pair of black soft soled dance style shoes. Boys need to provide their own black socks. If any of these required costume pieces are a problem for you, financially or your just having trouble finding them, please talk to our costumer, Donna Maki, dnnmk55@gmail.com. 

Oz Tickets and Punch Cards
Tickets may be purchased online at PendoreillePlayers.org . There is a .50 transaction fee added to online and paypal orders. You may also buy tickets in advance at the box office in the Playhouse. It is important to buy the tickets in advance because seating is reserved.

Th very best deal for tickets is a PUNCH CARD. Here is how it works:

Punch cards are $50 and have six punches on them; card expires one year from purchase date.  

Each punch is one adult or two kids tickets. You may use as many punches at a time as you would like. The only restrictions are it must be a POPA performance and it takes two punches for a dinner theater ticket. It is still best to buy your tickets in advance as a punch card does not guarantee a seat. You can bring your punch card in to the box office or reserve your seats by phone, tell them that you have a punch card, and have the card punched when you pick up the tickets. 

Lauretta will be selling punch cards at rehearsals and will take checks or cash. You may also buy them at the PLayhouse. If you have any questions about tickets or punch cards, ask Lauretta.  

Don't forget to leave a comment on this post so that I know that you read it and so you can be entered into our Cast Party Drawing for something fun and Oz-ish.