Hey Freshmen!

Post date: Sep 13, 2014 6:13:22 PM

Dear Frosh,

    If you're seeing this, you either came to the meeting and joined the Facebook group and saw the link, or you got the e-mail about the website, or you got lost on the internet and don't even go to Maggie Walker. No matter who you are, I'm going to tell you why you should be part of Maggie Walker Drama. Tell your friends.

    Step 1: Join the MLWGS Drama Club, you really can't go wrong with that. Its just the occasional meeting that will have tons of useful information, and you're always welcome to bring your friends or your lunch or your pets if you can sneak them onto the school grounds. If for no other reason, you get to say that you spent lunch with the coolest upperclassmen in the school (this is a lie, but your friends won't know any better). 

    Step 2: If you're having a tough time adjusting to the workload of MLWGS (we've all been there), you can always start small. Volunteer for a slot working the drama booth at Fall Fest. Come to set construction every once and a while. Get your parents to join the boosters. Bring your extra clothes and useless crap from your house to school and donate it to costuming and props. We'll still love you if this kind of stuff is all you ever do.

    Step 3: Once you feel like you can handle a real extracurricular, and you've talked to your parents about the commitment, audition for a show! If you don't get in, take it in stride and don't let it stop you from being involved. Tell the tech people (me or Emma) that you want to help and we'll take down your name and e-mail and tell you specifically about what options you have to help out. 

    When you are a part of a show at Maggie Walker, you find out what responsibility means. You learn how to use power tools and not kill people with them. You learn about facing your fears and standing on stage in front of hundreds of people and acting, or singing, or dancing. You do something you're good at and get to show the school that you're special. And most of all, you don't even need to start out being all that good. We'll make you good, we promise, we won't let you embarrass yourself on stage unless you want to*.

    Please get involved with Maggie Walker's Drama Club and department, because it's pretty much the best thing ever. You don't even have to be dramatic. I've never been on stage. I joined MLWGS drama because of the cool people and the free food, and now I'm the stage manager of the 2014-15 season. I'm not going to lie to you, it's a lot of time. But the time is worth it, because it also sort of turns you into a real person. Adult, maybe, is a better word.

    Love, 

        Abby

*P.S. if you do want to embarrass yourself on stage, ask me about auditions for the school's improv comedy group, Standard Deviation. It's a ton of fun and lots of laughs and we need new creative people like yourself to keep it alive. Thanks for reading this whole long letter! You seem like a pretty cool freshman.