Show Notes: March 2024
The Newsletter of All-of-us Express Children's Theatre
In this issue:
Next on stage: The Wind in the Willows
Summer 2024 drama camps
Show recap: The Addams Family
Board buzz: Join us!
Alumni feature: Ron Stratton
Season 35 productions
It seems that spring has sprung and we have lots going on in the coming months…read on for news from the All-of-us Express Children’s Theatre (AECT) nonprofit Board, and we would love to see you on Facebook and Instagram as well!
Next on stage: The Wind in the Willows
A classic returns to AECT
What begins as a peaceful summer on the River is soon disrupted by Toad and his obsession with motorcars. After crashing several cars, he ultimately steals one and lands himself in jail. His friends Mole, Badger, and Water Rat make every effort to protect Toad's residence, Toad Hall, but are instead ousted by the Ferrets and Weasels of the Wild Wood. Will Toad escape from jail and regain Toad Hall? Will he learn a lesson about his boastful and impetuous ways? Join us for a spirited adaptation of this timeless classic!
Returning to AECT for only the third time in the company’s history (with prior productions in 2002 and 2015), this beloved show will be directed by AECT’s Assistant Artistic Director, Blake Weil.
Show times
Fridays, April 26 and May 3: 7:00pm
Saturdays, April 27 and May 4: 3:00pm
Sundays, April 28 and May 5: 3:00pm
Ticket information
Tickets are $12 for adults and $8 for anyone under 18 and are available at the front desk of the East Lansing Hannah Community Center, by phone at (517) 333-2580 ext. 0, or online (online sales will open in early April). Tickets are date-specific, but are still for general seating. Season ticket holders should trade in tickets at the front desk for a specific performance date. Doors open approximately 30 minutes before the show.
Opening night reception
The AECT Board of Trustees invites you to join us for some pre-show fun on Opening Night. Our free reception includes appetizers, beverages, kids' games, and conversation. The Wind in the Willows reception will be Friday, April 26 in the Hannah Center Banquet Room from 5:30-6:30pm. Please RSVP by April 19 via the link below to help us with planning. Feel free to bring your whole family after dropping off your cast or crew member for their Opening Night call.
Seeking volunteers!
We are always looking for helping hands (or paws, or flippers)! Can you do a stint at Concessions? Cover the Green Room one night? Supervise the ushers for a performance or two? Please explore our volunteer openings for Concessions & Merch and all other needs.
Summer 2024 drama camps
Camps are filling fast!
AECT’s drama camps have become a summer staple for many area families. Registration opened March 11, and camps are filling fast (four are wait-listing names already) so check them out ASAP if you have a kid with a flair for the dramatic. Camps feature a variety of themes—from Bluey to Barbie, Harry Potter to High School Musical—and are open to kids starting at 7 years old all the way into the teens.
Download the brochure here! Ready to sign up? Register through the City of East Lansing’s AECT website (go to "Browse Classes & Register Online).
Show recap: The Addams Family
Death is just around the corner, but this show made us feel alive!
When you're an Addams, you gotta have a lot of passion, and this cast and crew sure delivered! Congratulations to the cast, crew, and production team—living, dead, and undecided—who brought us this creepy, kooky, mysterious. and spooky show.
Thank you to the front-of-house and backstage volunteers for keeping their eyes on the ball (as it were) and keeping theatergoers well-supplied with black roses and moon pies. Thanks also to our sponsors, whose support is deeply appreciated: Jackson, the Arts Council of Greater Lansing, the National Endowment for the Arts, Ingham County Hotel/Motel Association, and the Michigan Arts and Culture Council.
And of course, thank you to the hundreds of audience members who came to support our youth as they followed their hearts and brought this story to life. And death.
Seeking committee members
Consider joining the board or one of our committees
The AECT Board of Trustees includes several committees that contribute in specific ways to the success of our initiatives. You do not need to be an AECT member or serve on the full board in order to join a committee. Committees meet separately from the board about once a month; the full board meets monthly on the second Tuesday, and we would welcome new board members. Learn more about the AECT Board of Trustees on our website. If you have a passion for one of these areas and are looking for a way to get involved, we welcome you to contact us and tell us about your interests!
Alumni feature: Ron Stratton
Two generations of AECT!
Ron Stratton is a media freelancer who was first introduced to AECT when he played the role of the Census Taker in The Phantom Tollbooth in 1996. Stratton’s final show with the company was Aesop Says in 2000, in which he starred as the titular character. “It was a very fun role and I had a lot of fun performing it,” Stratton said. Other favorite roles include Billy Bones in Treasure Island (1997), and Macduff (pictured below) in Shakespeare’s Macbeth (or “The Scottish Play” to seasoned theatre folks) in 1998. Stratton’s main job at the moment is serving as a media producer for the Lansing School District. “I also work with Channel 4 News, and in the past I’ve worked with organizations such as the Discovery Channel,” Stratton said.
Although he doesn’t work in the theatre industry now, Stratton attributes his professional career success to AECT. “When I was 18 and trying to get my first job in television, I put my AECT lights crew experience on a job application, and that was the main thing that got me hired and spurred the rest of my career,” he explained. That’s not all, though—Stratton met his wife while performing with AECT, and now their daughter is involved with the company as well!
(Alumni interview by board youth representative Ethan Beczkiewicz, edited by Reynie Enger)
Remaining Season 35 productions
Save these dates!
More information about auditions and audition workshops, performance dates and times, and plot details can be found in the Season 35 brochure.
Spring 2024: The Wind in the Willows *On stage April 26-May 5*
A beloved tale of two best friends and their adventures
Studio Class 2024: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time *On stage May 10-11*
In which a brilliant but misunderstood teenager attempts to solve a mystery
Summer 2024: The SpongeBob Musical *Auditions May 16-17*
Can our favorite yellow sponge save Bikini Bottom from certain destruction?
Thanks for reading Show Notes—we hope to see you on Facebook and Instagram as well! Keep up between issues on our website.