Monday, June 30, 2014

SYT Newbies: A Parent’s Perspective

by Tyann Sheldon Rouw

When Gretta spoke to parents and students during the kick-off meeting earlier this month, I came prepared with a pen and paper. I scribbled down notes and hung on her every word. Our family is new to Sturgis Youth Theatre (SYT), and I want to do what I can to help my sons be successful. We have gotten to know Gretta via Spectrum Theatre, which occurs several times during the school year on Sunday afternoons -- when the Green Bay Packers aren’t playing --for kids on the autism spectrum.

For the past few years, Gretta has encouraged Noah and Henry to participate in SYT. They had no interest. As a mother and supporter of the arts, I knew how much they would grow if they could be involved in a summer theatre program.  I took them to last year’s performance of Jack and the Beanstalk. They both enjoyed it and even recognized a few classmates in various roles, but they couldn’t imagine themselves being involved in anything similar.

Months ago when we were all wearing winter coats and snow boots, Gretta asked them to read a few scripts she was considering for this year’s play. Would they be up for the challenge of providing her valuable feedback? It was serious business. Noah and Henry met Gretta at Cup of Joe on more than one occasion to discuss their thoughts and eat cookies. (Coffee may have been consumed, too.) They gave their reports. She asked questions. Noah volunteered to read various versions of Cinderella and report his findings. We emailed a few times to discuss important agenda items. Needless to say, the boys were thrilled to assist the director.

When Gretta told them she had chosen The Glass Slipper: The Story of Cinderella, they were already familiar with the script. After all, they had been important players in the process. When she asked, “Will you help me out this summer?  Will you work with me in Sturgis Youth Theatre? Are you in?” they both said yes. She needed firm commitments, so she asked them again.

I think she even asked them to shake on it, but I don’t remember for sure. (I was sitting on a long couch at Cup of Joe, watching from afar and digging in my purse for a tissue because my eyes were filled with happy tears.)  It took a long time to get a commitment.

And here we are.

I jotted down notes during the kick-off meeting as Gretta spoke, and these are some of the highlights:

To participate, you just show up and work hard. There are no auditions. I never thought it was fair that some people got a part and others didn’t.  Everyone at SYT gets more than one part!

I told my mom at age seven that I wanted to have my own theatre someday, so this is a dream come true.  (At this point I started dabbing my eyes; I couldn’t help it. Here’s a woman who at age seven knew her true calling in life. Meanwhile, I’m 43 and still don’t know what I want to be when I grow up.)

Nobody owns a role. And if anyone is wearing a tiara, it’s going to be me.

It’s rare and wonderful to find such an inclusive activity. A place where anyone can be involved? Nobody sits on the bench? Noah has been involved in music, which has been a wonderful experience for him. He played flag football but admitted it wasn’t really his thing. He said if he had to join the tackle team, he would be spending most of his time in the emergency room. Henry tried soccer once and said never again.

The advice she gave was this: Bring chocolate when you forget your pencil. Be accountable and responsible. Don’t lose your parents’ paperwork. Learn the elements of a play. Learn self-discipline. Show up, work hard, and you’re part of the group.  Have fun.

How dreamy.

I jotted down the details about how to order tickets and what they needed to bring to each rehearsal so they wouldn’t be raked over the coals. Then I heard Gretta say the actors will be vacuuming and hanging up costumes, and she was sorry if those skills would not transfer to their home environments. (I laughed out loud. I just knew she was just talking to me, but when I looked around, I saw a lot of parents smiling, too.)   
Noah and Henry have been officially rehearsing scenes since June 25 – I know it hasn’t been too long. They don’t bat an eye about packing up a picnic dinner and spending five hours at the theatre. (Just between you and me, I’m over the moon with excitement, too, when they are gone for such a long stretch.) They have met new friends and are privy to inside jokes. After being gone for 2.5 hours at rehearsal, they say things like, “Well, that went fast.”

I just look at them and smile. It’s a dream come true.

At home I hear them talking about the play. They look forward to being with other people who are in their scenes. Henry said he has memorized his lines for one scene. Then he asked me if we owned a hoe.
Gretta told me she looked at Henry after rehearsal one day and had never seen him smiling so big. He can be a pretty serious guy. I know the smile. I’ve seen it, too, and it’s more frequent lately.  

I picked up Noah the other day after rehearsal, and as we drove home, I asked him the million dollar question.  “Do you think you might want to do this next year?”

“Yes,” he said, “I want to do this again until someone tells me I’m too old to do it. By my calculations, I think I have at least another year left.”


“I’m so glad,” I managed to say.  I had a lump in my throat. I would have reached for a tissue, but I didn’t have one with me.  


WeeMee avatar for Gretta, created by Henry


Suzanne Bartlett commented:  Yay! I love the way Gretta roped Noah and Henry in. She's a genius, that lady! I knew the boys would love it. I, too, am forever indebted to Gretta for this incredible, inclusive opportunity.

Thursday, June 26, 2014

Going Shopping

June 26, 2014

The costume shop is up and running.  I am fortunate enough to have three wonderful assistants helping with costumes.  Mic Evans, our assistant costume designer, is a UNI theatre student working on his first Sturgis Youth Theatre summer production.  Emma Meier, a student at Cedar Falls High School, is a veteran of the Sturgis Youth Theatre, appearing in several past productions.  Another first timer, Heather Wolf, is a student at Holmes Junior High.  We also have a delightful young woman, Kendra, joining us as a volunteer a couple of times a week.

While I worked on marketing the show, the staff spent the first two days of rehearsals unpacking boxes and sorting through costumes to determine what we already have.  With Kendra's help, Mic created a mock-up of Cinderella's glass slipper that Gretta approved yesterday.  We were then fortunate enough to discover that the mock-up actually fits one of the actors playing Cinderella!

Yesterday was spent talking through each character's costume needs and pulling some items for fittings.  Emma sketched out a design for Cinderella's ball gown based on a dress that we already have and fit it to the actor.  Completing it and creating a second one is the next step.

This afternoon's agenda is a shopping trip for costumes.  After spending yesterday afternoon talking through each character's costumes needs, we have a full day ahead of us today.  We began shopping last evening with a quick trip to Goodwill on University Avenue for dresses and skirts for the ball.  I also brought in some clothes from my closet that I'm donating to the cause.

Before the staff arrives though, I spent some time this morning creating a poster for the actors to color prior to distributing them around town.  Our scenic designer, Mark Parrott, provided the artwork.  He always does such a wonderful job coming up with a design that reflects the show, appeals to young people and provides the actors the opportunity to help sell tickets by coloring the posters.

Tickets go on sale to the general public next Tuesday, July 1, and are only $5.00.
Performances are:
Thursday, July 17, @ 7:00 p.m.
Friday, July 18, @ 10:30 a.m. & 7:00 p.m.
Saturday, July 19, @ 2:00 & 7:00 p.m.

Sunday, July 20, @ 2:00 p.m.

Monday, June 16, 2014

Back in Cedar Falls

June 16, 2014

I arrived at my home for the summer in Cedar Falls Thursday evening.  Have to say a big Thank You to Ron and Gretchen Koinzan for offering a house-sitting and cat care opportunity for me while I'm in town.  Friday morning I picked up the keys to the theatre and the binder of show information/forms and had lunch with my old friend, Mark Parrott, who will again be designing the scenery for the show.

My phone conversation with Gretta on June 2nd was very informative and I was able to develop a list of tasks to be completed prior to the company meeting on June 22.  Those are the things on which I will concentrate this week.  Purchasing toys for concessions, printing the tickets, updating the various forms for parents to fill out, sending performance information to the various online events calendars for the region, creating a flier for the College Hill Arts Festival, and mailing out costume sponsorship letters.

We also discussed the addition of at least 18 characters to the story in order to provide more parts for our 40+ actors.  I of course expected these additions so it won't be difficult to accommodate them in my design.  One addition is the appearance of the horses that the mice are turned into by the fairy godmother.  I had done some research on horses and costumes several months ago but then discovered when I received a copy of the script that they don't actually appear on stage.  Gretta has changed that though.


 A concern for me as the point person for marketing/ticketing/front-of-house is the closure of the main entrances to the Strayer-Wood Theatre in the front of the building.  The university has begun tearing out the concrete sidewalks and courtyard in order to redesign and replace the outdoor space and the work will not be completed until after our show closes.  Therefore, I'm going to have to brainstorm with the team alternative building entrances that will be accessible for all audience members.

Let's Begin



June 1, 2014

In less than two weeks, I am returning to Cedar Falls to spend my 12th summer working with Gretta and the Sturgis Youth Theatre.  This summer, we will be producing The Glass Slipper, the story of Cinderella.  I am serving as publicity and ticket manager and costume designer.  Although the official date isn't for another three weeks, work on the show began several weeks ago.  Last night I decided that I wanted to write about my experiences with the company this summer, to share with anyone interested but also as a part of my own process.

Working with Gretta, Mark and the students of the Sturgis Youth Theatre has been a highlight of my professional life nearly every year since 1999.  I've had the pleasure of meeting so many interesting, energetic, vibrant, talented kids and watching them grow into successful young adults.  When I left my position at UNI in 2010, I assumed that my work with the company had come to an end, although I would always remain a strong advocate.  Fortunately, I was wrong.  Last summer, Gretta invited me to return as publicity manager for Jack and the Magic Beans.  As soon as I was able to clear my schedule, I accepted. This summer, I get to return as costume designer as well, a position that I am really enjoying as it provides me with a creative outlet that I don't usually have.  My previous costume design experience is limited, serving as assistant designer to Amy RohrBerg on the Cedar Falls Community Theatre production of The Man of La Mancha and costume designer for the 2010 SYT production of James and the Giant Peach.  I really must thank Amy, Carol Colburn and Linda Grimm for allowing me to hang out in the Strayer-Wood Theatre costume studio so much and sharing their knowledge.  And thank Gretta for believing in my ability to design this show.

I've already read the script three times, highlighting costume references and anything I can use in marketing.  Research for costumes and concessions has begun and a board created on my Pinterest account. (Side note: I probably spend way too much time on Pinterest.)  The costume chart and tickets have both been started.  I'm also in the process of creating small signs that say "If the shoe fits…", based on the last line of the play.

The production team in Cedar Falls met on Friday for a first production meeting.  Because I had to work, I was not able to phone in.  However, Gretta and I will be talking on Tuesday morning.  In advance of that conversation, I need to create a few lists and define my responsibilities to the show.

Responsibilities:

1. Costume Designer - as far as a job description goes, this one is fairly straight forward: design and create the costumes and hair/makeup designs for the show.

2. Publicity & Ticketing Manager - manage all marketing efforts, supervise ticket operations, collaborate with Gretta on costume sponsorship fundraising campaign, research and order concessions items.

To Do List:  Week of June 1, 2014

1. Finish creating tickets and ready for print
2. List show on web calendar sites
            a. Cedar Valley & Iowa Tourism sites
            b. local & regional television & radio station sites
            c. Waterloo Courier & Cedar Falls Times
3. Complete "If the Shoe Fits" plaques
4. Make earrings for concession
5. Research local YMCA/YWCA kids camps, day care centers, and home schooling programs for group sales
6. Pack for trip

Topics & Questions for conversation with Gretta:

            Marketing
1. Can I get access to SYT Facebook page?
2.  Who will update SYT website and when will it be done?  I want to make sure the purchase ticket link is NOT on the page like it was last summer.  This caused a few problems.
3. What is my budget?
4. Has there been any interest from Cedar Falls Rec Center again?
5. I plan to create a flier about the show for the College Hill Arts Festival.  Will there be a Theatre UNI presence at the event?
6. This is the 15th anniversary of the SYT.  Do we want to recognize this in some special way?
7. Has an assistant been hired and do we know the expectations of this person?
8.  I plan to tweet and blog throughout the process and welcome anyone who wishes to follow.

Concessions
1. I need another toy for boys.  Will there be swords in the show?

Costume Design
1. Is there a character breakdown yet?  I'm wondering if there might be a third stepsister.
2. To avoid the Disney reference, I really don't want to put Cinderella in a blue dress for the ball, although the decision will depend partially on what we have available in stock.
3. Glass slippers or sparkly jeweled slippers?  See research on Pinterest.
4. Pumpkin Head character - I'm thinking a pumpkin mask, green scarf with leaves and brown pants & shirt.  Does Gretta know anyone who could crochet the scarf for us?  I have a pattern.
5. Cat - we could use a half-face mask or cat style glasses, a nose with whiskers and head band with ears.  Does Gretta have a color in mind for the cat?
6. Mouse - half-face mask or nose with whiskers and head band with ears.  Gray mouse with pink tail.
7. Stepsisters - house coats for the ugly bathrobes?  Toilet paper roll curlers in their hair.  Big feather hair pieces and gaudy jewelry with their ball gowns.  See Pinterest for research.
8. Stepmother - a little more put together than her daughters.
9. Fairy Godmother - wings & glasses
10.  Assistant - waif, raggy clothes, fingerless gloves, suggestion of wings sprouting on her back

I probably won't write every day, although I plan to tweet, take pictures and post of both the SYT and my personal Facebook pages daily.  Information regarding the performance dates and times will be available within the week.