Witch 8; Baby Bear 0

So the popular parts seem to be Witch (8), Princess (7), Goldilocks (6), Prince (5), Wolf (4), Cinderella & Rapunzel (3) each.

Clearly, we can't cast 8 kids in the role of Witch so there will be some unhappy kids at the end of this week when they are not cast in their most favorite role of the show.

You can help us make it less disappointing!

Ask your daughter what other parts there are in the play. Remind your son or daughter that there are "no small parts, only small actors." Why? Because that is what all directors would say. Every single cast member has an IMPORTANT role. Can Goldilocks be successful without the three bears? No! And yet not one kid asked to play papa bear, mama bear, or baby bear. Can the wolf be as fierce without the three pigs? No. Yet another set of roles that remain without students clamoring for casting.

So I ask you: talk with your child between now and Friday (when we hope to share the cast list and distribute take home scripts). Explain percentages. Share theatre philosophy. Make sure she understands that all parts are good parts! Make sure he understands that there is no show without all the characters.

Characters Matter.

Difference can be scary but it's cool.

Woke up this morning to the tune Jack & the Giant sing together. Is that happening to you yet?

It's about how we should take time to learn about one another first instead of judging a book by its cover. The song is fun and shares a great moral as both Jack and the Giant admit that they each made the wrong assumptions when they first saw each other.

"Difference really feels different as a rule. Difference can be scary but it's cool."

It's cool.

Role Evaluations & Attendance

The kids are doing a super job with the songs! Keep practicing them at home. During rehearsal, they have the script so they can follow along with the words. Now we need them to learn how to sing the songs without the script. You can help by playing the CD every time you are in the car. Of course, you'll learn the songs too, but you'll be glad you did! They are very catchy.

Today we asked the kids to write down their top two choices of roles, now that they have been through the show a couple of times. Next week, we will be having the students read through and sing along to their choices, solo, and will evaluate how they do. By the end of the week, we'll ask them to write us a letter explaining which part they want and why (with several options) as well. We already know there are a few roles that many kids want . . .

Your child needs to be at all rehearsals to be considered for the role of their choice. We can't do proper evaluations or determine the level of commitment your child has to learning the lines or songs if they are not at every rehearsal.

Thanks greatly for supporting your child in the drama club! It's great fun and full of excitement as we move to our second week of rehearsals.

Music CD's Sent Home

Okay Moms & Dads. Your son or daughter brought the CD to Character Matters today and now you get the pleasure of listening to it over and over and over again! Before you know it, you'll be whistling a tune without even realizing it and waking up in the morning with Not Bricks rattling around. . . Enjoy!

Morning Rehearsals

Today was a GREAT first morning rehearsal! The half-hour morning rehearsals before school are designed to simply give the kids time to listen and learn the words and melodies of the songs from their show, Character Matters. Kids were already singing strong by the time we got to the final two songs. Fun, fun, fun!!

Parents: Please remember to drop your students off at the front in the mornings as the back doors will not be open that early.

Thanks!

First Reheasal & Read-Through

The 3rd grade drama club met today after school for the first time! Parents helped dramatize the show, Character Matters, for the 30-students with a read through to introduce the show to the club. It was a fun afternoon and everyone took home their sharp looking, new, Character Matters T-shirts!

Drama Club's First Rehearsal Tues, April 14

We are excited and thrilled to be working with thirty students over the next month as we put together the show, Character Matters!

Our first meeting with the Drama Club will be next week, Tuesday, April 14th after school from 2:50 PM to 3:50 PM in the 4th grade hallway Art/Music Room. We will introduce our production team, review our schedule and expectations, and read through the show Character Matters for the students.

Beginning the next day, Wed April 15th, we will begin with morning rehearsals at 7:10 AM in the Science Lab. Students will listen to the show music each morning to begin learning the songs.