Dear Theater Students and Parents,

I have met with Mr. Donnelly about the upcoming theater season, and we are developing ways to move forward with a fall after-school program.

We know that we will not be able to do a musical with all of the safety restrictions. However, we are attempting to create a simpler production for a public audience that complies with all of the safety protocols and social distancing guidelines released by the State of New Hampshire for The Performing Arts.

Please also understand that the district is also still working out the nature of extra-curricular activities in this hybrid model, so our plan is, as always, subject to change via district, town, state, national and global/interplanetary influence. (Curse you, MARS!)

FAQ:

(Some starting information to let you know the direction we are headed in.)

Would I have to be in school attendance to participate after school or can I do so and still school remotely?

No final decisions have been made, but it is my impression that you will need to be a student participating with in-school attendance to be a part of the shows.

How often would we rehearse?

Only students who are attending school on that particular day will be able to attend rehearsal. As the hybrid model will bring half of the students in on Monday & Tuesday, and half of the students on Thursday and Friday, this means that we will have two separate clusters of theater students who will each be rehearsing two days a week.

Would there be a late bus?

That is currently not clear. It may very well be that if you would like to participate in theater, you may need to arrange for a ride. If there is no late bus, we may also adjust our end time to a little later in the afternoon to allow for some extra rehearsal.

What kind of production would we do?

We are looking to do either two one-act plays (one for each cluster) or a single larger play with vignettes (mini-plays) that can be performed together.

When would we perform this show?

We would look to perform this at the end of October. We do not want a production schedule that stretches out for a long period of time, as COVID brings with it constant changes in long-term schedules.

What precautions would we be taking to stay safe?

There are a great deal of steps that we will be taking. We will put a complete list of expectations on the website and on a student contract. We will also hold an orientation session for all participating students on expectations. To top line it:

- The performers and audience will all be socially distanced from one another.

- We will have decreased numbers of performers on stage.

- All students will be required to wear masks during rehearsals.

- Hand sanitizing will happen on a regular basis during rehearsals

- When weather permits, we will hold rehearsals outside.

- All audience members will be required to purchase tickets ahead of time as we will be doing assigned seating.

- We will need volunteer adults as ushers for seating audiences during performances.

- During performances, the lobby will be closed. (Bathrooms will be available). There will be no ticket booth, concession stand, intermissions or cast and crew meet and greet after the show. (We will have a virtual way for the audience to provide feedback to the cast.)

There is plenty more, and I am putting together the information in a digestible way right now. I would like to emphasize that this is a work in progress, and nothing is definite yet. We are still five weeks out from school opening, but I will continue to feed you information as it becomes available. Feel free to contact me with questions either at this e-mail or 603-832-8250.