Good morning, friends and sponsors,
I just sent out an update a couple of weeks ago (July Update) but you may not have read it because for some reason Gmail decided that my name should be "Not Using" - so you probably deleted it thinking it was SPAM. Most of what I said in there is covered in this letter in more detail (because I didn't have much information the first time and now we have a pretty great plan in place).
I realize that Virtual is not our dream for this year but I, for one, am excited that there will be at least one solid event that neither social distancing, school procedures, or even a global pandemic can stop - and that's our Regional and State festivals. This plan also allows for LOTS of flexibility for you and your students/troupes and I think it would serve us all to adjust our "we can't do ____" philosophy to more of a "HOW can we do _______" mindset. I know that theatre teachers and students are among the most flexible and resilient breeds of people on this planet and this is our chance to lead by example and keep our kids motivated and energized.
Read over the letter attached a couple of times and if you still have some questions or concerns (that extend beyond "why do we have to do this" or "are we sure we have to do this") then please email me them and I'll run them up the ladder to find some answers.
I'm on one of the committees to look at and rework rules and expectations to better reflect our online adventures so I'll be able to keep you guys posted about how that goes. I'm also thrilled to announce that our Regional leader will be the great Kristen Neander and we couldn't be in better hands. I'll still serve as your first point of contact but I'll be working with her and the rest of the team to make sure we all have a wonderful time.
I feel like I'm just living in various stages of depression and anxiety at the moment as we begin the slow climb to reopening schools but I trust that we'll all come through this stronger and more resilient than ever. Stay safe and sane out there, folks. #WeGotThis