And we’re off!!

 

Welcome, Bell families, to this Spring’s production of The Secret of NIMH!! It’s going to be an exciting rehearsal process! This website/blog will keep you apprised of what we’re up to, what our rehearsal schedule is, and what the general lowdown is.

It’s been an awesome first week. We’re already doing scene work!

Note that Levi’s email is Levi.Bellschool@gmail.com

Please don’t hesitate to contact him with any questions OR if a cast or crew member has an upcoming conflict. This is a shorter than usual rehearsal process, and vigilance will be so very appreciated.

ALSO A SNOW DAY on 2/9 throws us a curveball in terms of rehearsal. See below, the updated calender:

NIMH schedule week 1-2

Reminder to send along your child’s participation fee if you haven’t done so.

be sure to check this blog regularly for updates.

gave a great day!

 

A few notes about Thursday…

…It’s our big day! Everybody is tired but hopefully excited, too! Just a few reminders for our rehearsals and shows tomorrow:

MORNING REHEARSAL
All cast and crew are called to the auditorium from 9:15am-11:15am. (Come to school as normal and go to your first hour of classes.) Our plan is to try to run the show (not a full dress rehearsal), go over some notes, clean up a few things, etc., before the afternoon school performance.

LUNCH
EVERYONE is going to eat lunch and have recess during the 11:15am-12:00pm lunch period. PLEASE BRING A BAG LUNCH. As soon as lunch is over at noon, all kids are called back to the auditorium to prepare for our first school performance. We need to schedule the dressing room/hair and makeup station in shifts: All kids who need a mic check at the top of the show (the first narrators, the first several Attic Kids, etc.) should get in costume and hair/makeup first. Once the dressing room is mostly clear, the 1917 narrators and all students who are in “Have a Little Faith in Me” can prepare for the show, followed by all kids who are in Pep Rally and later numbers.

SCHOOL SHOW #1 AND AFTER SCHOOL
Our show is scheduled to start at 1:30 and MUST end by 3:00, whether we are finished or not. (Our approximate run time right now is 75 minutes, so barring any major crises, this should not be a problem.) Remember that school is still in session during this time, so no cell phones, running around in the hallways, etc.

AFTER SCHOOL
Students should then head home at 3:15 as they normally do – there will be no after-school supervision for students between 3:15pm and 5:30pm. Go home, freshen up, eat dinner, and come back to get ready for our first public show!

PUBLIC SHOW #1
We’d like to go over notes with students promptly at 5:30 and then prepare for the top of the show, which starts at 7:00pm. By this time we will have run the show at least twice in its entirety, so it should be a piece of cake! 🙂

REMINDERS
Remember that it’s very important to stay quiet backstage because the audience can hear you from inside the auditorium! Students should always be aware of what numbers are coming up next and where they’re supposed to be and when. Snacks are allowed backstage but NOT in the library. No students except lights crew should be on the balcony (except during transitions between songs when necessary). All crew members should stay with their crew in their assigned area. ALL students should listen to and respect all adults backstage as well as student production team members. Pick up all your costumes, belongings, garbage, etc. before you leave!!

If you have any questions about procedures, logistics, etc., don’t hesitate to shoot me an e-mail or see me or another production team member while we’re running around tomorrow! Thanks to all the volunteers who helped out today, to everyone scheduled to help out the next few days, and to all of you for your support and flexibility during tech week. BREAK A LEG TOMORROW!! #thisbelllife

Housekeeping items

SHOES
A clarification – any students in the “Feeling Good” number should make sure they have BLACK shoes, whether for tap, jazz, or signing. As soon as you are able, please make sure to wear the shoes you plan to wear in the show during our runs. Practicing in the type of shoe you’ll be performing is very important in order to get used to walking around the stage and to alter your body language and movements appropriately.

COSTUMES
Students should have brought their costumes in today. Please do so if you have not already. Tomorrow we will work on organizing the dressing room and labeling everyone’s costumes in preparation for our dress rehearsal on Wednesday.

WEDNESDAY’S SCHEDULE
There is a small mistake on the tech week schedule. Students are NOT required to bring a bag lunch on Wednesday – they only need to do so on Thursday due to the modified lunch schedule.

CELL PHONES/FOOD/BEHAVIOR
All students should please remember not to use cell phones during rehearsal and that eating in the auditorium is NOT permitted. All actors and crew should also be actively attending to the rehearsal happening onstage and stay quiet while the directors are working with students to ensure that we can make the most of our limited time together.

Day 1 of tech week is down…only three days until our show! We hope you’re getting excited!!

 

Detailed tech week and performance schedule coming soon

Hello everyone,

We are still finalizing the tech week schedule with Ms. Miller, so the detailed schedule (including rehearsals during the school day) will be released as soon as possible. For now, I can give everyone the after-school schedule:

Monday 2/27: ALL CAST, Stage crew, Props crew
Tuesday 2/28: ALL CAST, Stage crew, Props crew, Sound crew, Lights crew
Wednesday 3/1: ALL CAST & CREW

We’re trying to be as judicial as possible with this schedule, especially when it comes to pulling students out of class, and this takes a long time to perfect. Thanks to everyone for your patience and support!

Volunteer opportunities – we need you!!

Sign up to volunteer for “This Bell Life” at this link!

Hello TBL families,

Our premiere is less than a week away!! Tech week and performances are always a VERY busy time for the production team, cast, and crew, and a successful show would not be possible without the amazing volunteers we are lucky enough to have every year. We have many opportunities for parents and families to lend a hand to our production, including:

• Final stages of set construction and painting
• Backstage assistance and supervision
• Hair/makeup station supervision
• Ticket sales
• Reserved seating/ushering
• Show breakdown and cleanup

Detailed descriptions of each role are listed on the website. We need volunteers during tech week, at our dress rehearsals during and after school, at our in-school and public performances, and after our final performance. Please consider donating your invaluable time or skills to our production, and check back periodically for possible additional volunteer opportunities. Thank you in advance – we truly couldn’t do it without YOU!

Sign up to volunteer for “This Bell Life” at this link!

Rehearsal schedule for weeks 7 and 8 (our final two weeks!!)

We are going to be doing a LOT of work in the two weeks leading up to our shows, so please make your best effort to be at every rehearsal. A detailed tech week schedule will be sent out next week – remember all tech week rehearsals are mandatory for the students called those days.

CREW MEMBERS: Please note that all crew members are invited, but not required, to attend rehearsal on Thursday 2/23. We will probably not be doing a run-through of the show (which we tentatively plan to do on Friday 2/24), but any crew members who are interested in viewing rehearsal are encouraged to attend.

The next two weeks can be very stressful and tiring for students and adults alike, so please be sure to get enough sleep every night, stay hydrated, eat well, and take care of yourselves! 🙂

Rehearsal Schedule Weeks 7 and 8

Monday, February 20th – special rehearsal for selected students only

Hi families,

Thanks for your patience as we finalize our schedule for our special rehearsal on Monday. Bell’s Kiely family has agreed to host our rehearsal at their yoga studio, Om on the Range, located at 1751 W Grace St. Only selected students will be called for rehearsal, and several groups have different call times. Please carefully read the schedule below to find your child’s specific call time.

IF YOUR CHILD IS CALLED FOR REHEARSAL ON MONDAY, PLEASE FILL OUT THIS DIGITAL PERMISSION FORM AS SOON AS POSSIBLE: SPECIAL REHEARSAL PERMISSION FORM

1:15-4:00
Kate A., Mia B., Kayla C., Marc C., Qoral E., Noah H., Steven H., Avaani J., Logan K., Charles L., Katie L., Miranda L., Molly N., Greyson P., Delphine P., Sofia R., Claire S., Adelaide S., Elliott S.

1:15-3:00
Sasha A., Sadie B., Taylor B., Izzi B., Evelyn B., Simone D., Elias D., Lily F., Morganne H., Ishika J., Peter K., Citlali L., Mei L., Ava M., Helena P., Genevieve P., Stella R., Finn R., Shawn T.-F., Kyra V., Chelsea W., Thalia W., Gabriella Y.

3:00-4:00
Ava B., Julia C., Katya C., Ella D., Cole H., Morganne H., Jayden K., Anoushka L., Eliana M., Katie O., Giselle P.

Looking for a rehearsal space Monday, February 20th

Hello families!

The directors would like to call a special “all cast” rehearsal for Monday, February 20th, but unfortunately we will not have access to the school building since it is a CPS holiday. We were wondering if anyone has a connection to a space we could use for rehearsal – a large space we can use for four or five hours and which can fit approximately 60 kids, ideally for free or low-cost. Please e-mail me or respond to this post if you think you know of a rehearsal space that might work for us. Thank you in advance!

Updated schedule for Tuesday, February 14th

“Feeling Good” tap dancers WILL be called, but only until 5:00 (not 5:30 as indicated on the original schedule).

3:15-5:00
“The Kids Don’t Stand a Chance”
Angel A., Madison B., Kayla C., Katya C., Natalie D., Jashan D., Jenny F., Noah H., Katie L., Miranda L., Yanelly M., Molly N., Delphine P., Nora R., Sofie S., Anna W., Zoey W.
3:15-5:00
All “Feeling Good” tap dancers

New rehearsal schedule for Thursday 2/9

Here is the new schedule for Thursday 2/9:

’40s/’50s (3:15-5:30)

Kate A., Ava B., Julia C., Katya C., Ella D., Cole H., Morganne H., Steven H., Elijah J., Jayden K., Anoushka L., Charles L., Eliana M., Katie O., Greyson P., Giselle P., Sofia R., Claire S., Elliott S.

Attic Kids will NOT be meeting as scheduled on Thursday (but any students who were assigned to BOTH groups should still come for the ’40s/’50s number). Attic Kids should still report to rehearsal on Friday 2/10. We apologize for any confusion. Thank you!