Dear Parents and Cast of WDJH Curtains,
On Friday, when Governor Pritzker announced the closing of Illinois schools for the remainder of the school year, the musical directors and I felt so deeply saddened for the cast of our spring musical. This should have been the week that we performed the show for our families and friends, a tangible reward for the months of effort and teamwork. Instead, in order to keep our families, friends, and community safe, young people across the nation are making adult-level sacrifices. Wood Dale Junior High students are heroically giving up important, meaningful life events as an act of love for our community and country. The bravery and character of our students have never been more apparent.
After much deliberation, and with a heavy heart, we have made the decision to officially cancel our spring musical. The stay-at-home order to keep us safe also means that holding rehearsals or performing the show at any time in the foreseeable future is impossible. We also decided against postponing Curtains to next year: The roles the students brought to life were special and unique to them and we can't imagine performing it without our 2020 8th grade cast members.
We will be reaching out in the next week with more details on a special project to create a cast recording of one of our songs, as a way to create a memory and memento of our time together as an ensemble. Please watch your inbox or Ms. Gruben's website for instructions on how to participate.
There is a famous show business saying "The show must go on!". In this case, the show will go on in our hearts. It will live on in the lessons we learned and remembering the laughs we had together in rehearsal. It will go on through the love you demonstrate for your community by staying home. It will go on when this crisis is over and you are on the stage again, performing to a crowded audience. For the rest of our lives, we will remember this difficult time as one when the truly important lessons of the theater: love, human connection, teamwork, and joy went on.
With love and pride in the cast of Curtains,
Ms. Gruben Mrs. Tinnes Mrs. Allen Ms. Jenkins Mr. Spedien
On Friday, when Governor Pritzker announced the closing of Illinois schools for the remainder of the school year, the musical directors and I felt so deeply saddened for the cast of our spring musical. This should have been the week that we performed the show for our families and friends, a tangible reward for the months of effort and teamwork. Instead, in order to keep our families, friends, and community safe, young people across the nation are making adult-level sacrifices. Wood Dale Junior High students are heroically giving up important, meaningful life events as an act of love for our community and country. The bravery and character of our students have never been more apparent.
After much deliberation, and with a heavy heart, we have made the decision to officially cancel our spring musical. The stay-at-home order to keep us safe also means that holding rehearsals or performing the show at any time in the foreseeable future is impossible. We also decided against postponing Curtains to next year: The roles the students brought to life were special and unique to them and we can't imagine performing it without our 2020 8th grade cast members.
We will be reaching out in the next week with more details on a special project to create a cast recording of one of our songs, as a way to create a memory and memento of our time together as an ensemble. Please watch your inbox or Ms. Gruben's website for instructions on how to participate.
There is a famous show business saying "The show must go on!". In this case, the show will go on in our hearts. It will live on in the lessons we learned and remembering the laughs we had together in rehearsal. It will go on through the love you demonstrate for your community by staying home. It will go on when this crisis is over and you are on the stage again, performing to a crowded audience. For the rest of our lives, we will remember this difficult time as one when the truly important lessons of the theater: love, human connection, teamwork, and joy went on.
With love and pride in the cast of Curtains,
Ms. Gruben Mrs. Tinnes Mrs. Allen Ms. Jenkins Mr. Spedien