Stay Healthy / Director's Note: Jan. 31st

Hello parents,

I sat down and talked to the students on Saturday to give them a sneak peek of what to expect over the next week and a half of rehearsals into the show will be like.  You will receive all this pertinent information (and more in detail) tonight at the parent meeting.  PLEASE, at least one parent/guardian should attend this meeting (cast and crew).  

I cannot believe that we have less than two weeks left!  I have reminded the kids to enjoy this journey and enjoy each moment of rehearsals, to trying on costumes, being on stage, etc.  It will be over before we know it!!

I also talked to the kids on Saturday about staying healthy.  When stress seeps in mixed with a crazy busy schedule, it is easy for our immune system to be affected.  Please encourage your children to remember the following as we embark on our tech weeks.  People in theater call these two weeks "hell week" for very appropriate reasons! 

• Get a good nights rest
• Encourage your child to use the almost two hours in between school and rehearsal to work on homework, so that after rehearsal, your child doesn't have to stay up late to finish any school work
• Eat healthy!!  Bring a healthy snack for after-school if you do not plan on eating dinner before rehearsal
• Drink lots of water!  Hydrate yourself with water and any juices (especially orange or apple)
• If you are sick, stay home from rehearsal!  We do not want to be sick with you!

Thank you for the cooperation with keeping the talking down and paying attention during rehearsals.  A special thank you to my students who have stepped up to be leaders in helping me manage 50+ kids.  I know who you are, and you have stood out! 

DON'T FORGET, we have rehearsal every day until we open (with the exception of Sunday).  ALL CAST is called for every rehearsal.  Please remind your child that he/she may end up sitting at rehearsal as we will be stopping to fix things at rehearsals this week.  Each child needs to bring something to do.

Thanks again!
Miss Wilmes

PARENT MEETING TONIGHT

A lovely note from our Parent Coordinator:
 
Hi Mulan Families,

This is a reminder that we have an ALL PARENT meeting on Monday, January 31, at 5 p.m. (when you drop off your child).  The meeting should last no longer than one hour, but it will cover TONS of information that you are just dying to know.  Seriously,  things seem to be going really well, but with 53 kids involved, this meeting is intended to make sure that everyone is on the same page.  Details will be explained to your kids too, but there are things they can't be prepared for without parental support - this production will be a family/team effort.    NOTE:  If you are one of the two rehearsal aides Monday evening, you will be able to join us by 5:10 p.m.

Topics to be covered:
Tech Week Schedule - what to expect / what is YOUR responsibility to your child
Green RoomS - break down of NEW locations
Costume Needs - by character
Make-up- some things your child is solely responsible for - broken down by character
Hair - broken down by character how it must be styled and or colored (be prepared parents of blondes!)
Pre-Show Schedule Break down for cast, tech, and volunteers
Volunteers - what is expected
Post-Show responsibilities

PLUS - We now need 2 additional adults backstage per show to help with sets  AND1 parent in the Green Room per show.  Also, we will be needing a parent to handle DRY ICE for each show - if that is a particular interest of yours!   Please come prepared to sign-up if you are available.

Honestly, it may take a small army of Wyomingites to pull this production off, but I am amazed by the dedicated parents and families that have made the set beautiful, the costumes fit, and the black eye make-up work, etc. etc. etc.  Thank you ALL for the hard work you have put forth or will put forth in the upcoming weeks!  Our children are the ones who will reap the benefits, so thank you for making my job easier.

Thanks,
Amy

Rehearsals: Friday & Saturday, January 28 & 29

Hi gang,

I just wanted to thank you for a great rehearsal on Tuesday.  The decision about Tuesday's rehearsal had to be made due to the amount of talking and our falling behind during rehearsals.  Thank you for your patience AND for your cooperation on Tuesday's rehearsal.  I expect that all students will pay attention at rehearsal and not talk while on stage or while waiting off stage, and the students at Tuesday's rehearsal did a great job of that. 

Friday & Saturday's rehearsals are staying the same as they are on the calendar, BUT -- please note:
FRIDAY:  no featured dancers, no ancestors, Chinese or Hun ensemble are needed for FRIDAY.  Ancestors, you do have some speaking lines in the last few pages - enjoy a night off.  We will most likely not get to your part with only an hour and half of rehearsal.  If you are one of these people who show up for rehearsal and are not needed, you will need to call a ride to come get you.  


STILL CONFUSED? 
I need Shang, Mulan, Shang's trio, Mushu, Cricket, Emperor, the 3 lead huns, and Chi-Fu

SATURDAY:  ALL CAST.  We will be running Scene 10, the Epilogue, the Finale, and Keep 'Em Guessin' Bows. 

Thank you!
Miss Wilmes

REHEARSAL TUESDAY, January 25th

Hello gang,

I am sorry for the late posting, but I have been in meetings almost all day.  Due to the amount of talking and stopping I am having to do at rehearsals, we are now behind.  I am requesting that I only have the following people at rehearsal tonight (see below).  If you show up for rehearsal and are not one of the cast members mentioned, you will need to call your parents and have them pick you up.  The amount of talking at rehearsals and not paying attention is putting us behind, and we cannot afford that. 

I have said it time and time again, but all of you are responsible students.  I have cast you in this show because I believe in you.  I know that you are able to hold your own and not be babysat every two seconds of rehearsal, but every time I stop to fix something with a character that is not you, everyone uses that as an excuse to talk to their neighbor.  In order to have a successful show, the talking and distractions have to stop.  I have some very neat things that I want to do with my cast that is not in the script, but at this point, I am unsure if we will get there if we continue at this rate.  We open 2 weeks from Thursday!!

I need the following people for tonight:
Shang
Ling
Yao
Qian-Po
Chi-Fu
Mulan
Mushu
Cricket
5 Ancestors

IF YOU ARE NOT ON THE ABOVE LIST, please do not come to rehearsal.  If you are one of the few people asked to try on costumes from Miss Ellen, you can go down to the costume room, but please have a ride for as soon as you finish.  I am running a CLOSED REHEARSAL tonight to catch us up.

Thanks!
Miss Wilmes 

Friday & Saturday's Rehearsal

Just to clarify, here is who I need for Friday & Saturday's rehearsal:
 
FRIDAY NIGHT, 5:00 - 6:30:  We are doing pages 42 - top of page 53 in script
ANCESTORS
MULAN
MUSHU
CRICKET
GRANDMA
MOTHER
FATHER
CHI-FU

Laura Warner
Asia Blue Jones
Kelsey Jobalia
Grayce Akers
Quinn Steifbold
Bella DeJesus
Emily Bence
Abby Casada

SHAN-YU
MAGYAR
SUBAR-TU


*If you are planning on going to the dance and need to slip out a few minutes early, I understand.

SATURDAY, 11:00 - 1:00 (pages 15-60 in script)
11:00 - 12:00:  We will be finishing Honor to Us All, Part 2
I will need all the Groomers, Hair Dressers, DressMakers, Matchmaker, Grandma, Mother, Ancestors, and Featured Dancers on stage ***If you plan to be there at 11:00, and I'm not using you in this scene, please bring something to work on.  We will have costume fittings going on -- please be patient.  You are welcome to come to the auditorium, but you will have to sit quietly.

BRIDES:  Please bring your umbrellas

12:00 - 1:00:  We will be running the show from 15-60 and stopping to work on what we have missed for the scene work.  Please bring your scripts and pencils.  This rehearsal is for ALL CAST.

Vandalism

Hello parents,

I am sure by now your students have told you that the green room was vandalized over the long weekend.  I did not know about this until after rehearsal on Monday when I was approached by a parent volunteer for that evening.  I just wanted to apologize to you, as there was an inappropriate word spray painted on the walls.  Unfortunately, we had costume fittings on Monday, so all of the kids saw it before I did at the end of rehearsal. 

Please know that Mr. Overbey was contacted after our rehearsal on Monday, and he assured me that he would take care of this.  Ellen and I were in the costume room until late on Saturday afternoon and locked everything up when we left.  When I left on Saturday, the green room was fine.  The deed was done between late afternoon on Saturday to before our rehearsal at 5:00 on Monday.  The school is looking into this.  For now, please stay posted.  None of the costumes were ruined (thank goodness!), but the mirrors, walls, a table, and the monitor were damaged.

No one should feel unsafe when attending rehearsal.  I am very glad that we have kept the inside doors locked and instituted the sign in/sign out process.  With all the students entering and exiting from the main front door, I can continue to account for all of my students and prove their innocence in such a case as this.  For that, I am thankful.

I certainly do not believe that any of my students did this -- however, if you have any information on this, please contact myself or the administration.

Thank you!
Miss Wilmes

Costume Update: Jan 19th

COSTUME UPDATE:  January 19th

Please bring in your garment bags as soon as possible.  These can be left at WMS in the green room.  Some cast members have already been fitted for several costumes, so it would help all of us stay organized to have this garment bag right away.  You can stick your jazz shoes in this garment bag if you prefer to leave these at the theater to be used at all rehearsals.  Please make sure you have your name on your garment bag.  Please take your garment bag down to the green room and hang this up once you bring this in.


Have your laundry bin?  Awesome.  Go ahead and hang onto this.  You will bring this in as we approach tech week.  It is basically a way that you will organize yourself for things that might not work in your garment bag (wigs, make-up, etc).  If you prefer to have a duffel bag instead of a laundry bin, that is fine.  This is a way to keep you organized, so bring in your preference.

HUNS:  You need a long sleeved black shirt (not a short sleeved shirt).  Now that we have received the costumes from Acting Up, we realized a long sleeve shirt would work better.

BOYS:  
PANTS:  We will need to hem your black pants.  If you don't have a black pair of pants or don't want to do this to one of our own pairs of pants, you can borrow a pair of capri pants (or yoga pants) from a mom or a sister.  We can pin these if they are too big, for the top of the pants will not be visible under your Chinese tunic. 

SHOES:  We would like you to have black shoes without laces, if possible.  You could do black ballet slippers, black water shoes, black canvas slip ons, or black slippers, it would be helpful.  Please see Ellen Kellogg (our costume extraordanaire!) if you have questions.

ALL CAST:  I realize that it is VERY exciting to get your costume (what fun!).  However, please know that the costumers are working with 40 students with most students having more than 1 costume change.  We are looking at TONS of costumes.  Please be patient and do not ask to try on your costumes or interrupt rehearsal to ask questions about when you will be trying on costumes.  The costumers will come get you as soon as they are ready on the days that they can be there -- I promise!  The costumes are BEAUTIFUL, and each of you will look BEAUTIFUL in them!!  I just ask that the entire cast be patient with this process.

That's it for now - THANKS!