In this issue:
On stage in October: 101 Dalmatians KIDS
On stage in November: Puffs
Burritos for a good cause: Chipotle fundraiser
Theatre is our sport, so… volunteer at an MSU football game
Board buzz: Comings and goings on the board
Show recap: The SpongeBob Musical
Season 36 productions
We’ve had a busy start to Season 36, with our annual meeting earlier this month and not one, but two shows coming to the stage this fall! 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!
On stage in October: 101 Dalmatians KIDS
Inaugural Elementary Workshop
Disney’s classic animated tale of villainous kidnappers and courageous puppies is adapted in this "fur-tastic" musical adventure. This production is our first Elementary Workshop, casting children in grades 2-5 and allowing some of our youngest theatre fans to take center stage. Coming to the stage for two performances only, 101 Dalmatians KIDS is directed by AECT’s veteran of many musicals, Jocelyn France. We hope you and your family can join us to see these little ones shine!
Show times
Saturday, October 12 and Sunday, October 13: 3:00pm
Ticket information
Tickets are $10 for all attendees and are available at the front desk of the East Lansing Hannah Community Center, by phone at (517) 333-2580 ext. 0, or online. Tickets are date-specific, but are still for general seating. Doors open approximately 30 minutes before the show.
On stage in November: Puffs
Or: Seven Increasingly Eventful Years at a Certain School of Magic and Magic
For seven years a certain boy wizard went to a certain Wizard School and conquered evil. This, however, is not his story. This is the story of the Puffs... who just happened to be there, too. A tale for anyone who has never been destined to save the world. Directed by Jen Shaw, this one is for the fans of a wildly popular book and movie franchise, but explores the multi-year story from a hufflier and pufflier perspective.
Item of headwear that divides student among four houses? Check.
Misfits and heroes (sometimes embodied in the same character)? Check.
Sinister potions instructor and unexpected villains? Check.
A trio of unlikely pals who work together to save the day? Check.
Show times
Fridays, November 1 and 8: 7:00pm
Saturdays, November 2 and 9: 3:00pm
Sundays, November 3 and 10: 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. 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.
Seeking volunteers!
We are always looking for helping hands! 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.
October Chipotle fundraiser: Guac on!
Queso for a cause
Spread the guac word! Mark your calendar and enjoy delicious food from Chipotle Mexican Grill on Sunday, October 13 from 5:00-9:00pm. During this four-hour window, AECT will receive 25% of sales at the Chipotle location on Lake Lansing Road. Tell your friends and neighbors, and we’ll see you there! (This would be a fantastic family dinner after the 101 Dalmatians KIDS show that day!)
Sunday, October 13, 5:00-9:00pm
1603 W. Lake Lansing Road (new-ish location west of Coolidge and Lake Lansing)
Volunteers needed at home MSU football games!
Calling all... football fans? AECT has the amazing fundraising opportunity to staff a concessions stand at every MSU home game this season, and we need at least eight volunteers per game. Whether theatre is your sport or you also enjoy a great day in Spartan Stadium, we need AECT friends, family, neighbors, and anyone else willing to join us to help support youth theatre programming through providing scholarships, paying space rental fees, purchasing materials for sets, props, and costumes, investing in equipment such as microphones, and much more. Learn more and sign up for a shift here!
Board buzz
Comings and goings following our Annual Meeting
Congratulations to the new Executive Board for Season 36: President Jen Shangraw, Vice President Chris Gillett, Treasurer April Hunt, and Secretary Melissa Aste.
Thank you to these outgoing members of the Board of Trustees, who have cycled off the board after their terms:
Jen VanDerHeide—in her six years on the board (including three as Vice President and the last two as President), Jen saw AECT weather COVID and worked on creative ways to recover and continue to grow the company. Jen wrote numerous grants and served as the board’s primary liaison with the City of East Lansing, and organized our Opening Night receptions,
Peter VanZwoll served as the Board’s Vice President for the last two years, and as a trustee for four years prior. Peter worked as membership chair, tirelessly promoting memberships (and mugs!) at First Reads. He was also instrumental in expanding the merch table to include show-specific offerings like the Witch’s Princess Jabberwocks, SpongeBob bubbles, and Addams Family black roses).
Joy Campbell, outgoing board Secretary, spearheaded the creation of the new AECT website in 2022, managed AECT’s social media for 15 months from March 2023-May 2024, and created or revised countless forms, handouts, and signs to bring a unified, professional look to the company. Joy also served as our first board house manager, keeping tabs on the lobby for shows since School of Rock.
Piper Beczkiewicz (Youth Representative) was always willing to weigh in on merch decisions to let us know what would be popular among the cast and crew, and covered the alumni beat for Show Notes, interviewing past participants to see where they currently work and how the program influenced them.
As we say goodbye to a few trustees, we also welcome these new members of the Board of Trustees and look forward to their insights and contributions:
Eric Fitton
Amy Greenberg
Andrea Hoagland
Amy Lampe
Audrey Tieman
Vinnie Tardino
Show recap: The SpongeBob Musical
It’s the best…day…eeeeeeeeVER!
Got that stuck in your head now, don’t you? Our summer production of The SpongeBob Musical was six performances of bubbly fun and fearless friendship. Not everything went swimmingly as an underwater volcano threatened the town of Bikini Bottom, but Sandy, Patrick, and our favorite simple sponge saved the day by working together.
Congratulations to the production team, cast, and crew members who brought us into Bikini Bottom, for the many front-of-house, backstage, and other volunteers who kept things running smoothly, to our sponsors, and to everyone who came out to enjoy the show!
Season 36 productions
Save these dates!
More information about auditions and audition workshops, performance dates and times, and plot details can be found in the Season 36 brochure.
Elementary Workshop 2024: 101 Dalmatians KIDS
A new opportunity for our youngest actors to take center stage!
Directed by Jocelyn France
Fall 2024: Puffs
Alternate title: Seven Increasingly Eventful Years at a Certain School of Magic and Magic
Directed by Jen Shaw
Winter 2025: Little Shop of Horrors *Auditions November 2024*
Don’t feed the plants.
Directed by Jocelyn France
Spring 2025: Holes *Auditions February 2025*
Some secrets are too big to keep hidden.
Directed by Andrea Arnold
Studio Class 2025: The Laramie Project *Auditions December 2024*
When a small town comes face to face with murder, everybody has a tale to tell.
Directed by Jen Shaw
Summer 2025: Disney’s The Little Mermaid *Auditions May 2025*
Life is the bubbles, under the sea!
Directed by Jocelyn France
Thanks for reading Show Notes—we hope to see you on Facebook and Instagram as well! Keep up between issues on our website.