Parents / Students:
I just finished a productive phone meeting with Jamie Miller. I want to share our thoughts / plans.
We are, unfortunately, in a tough position with A Short in the Wire and this very unpredictable winter weather pattern that may be around for the next 10 days. As we all know, Portland weather is incredibly hit / miss when it comes to frozen precipitation, so forecasting is tough. That said, there are many models out there right now that look quite foreboding with snow, ice, and freezing rain predicted to be possible every day from 2/9 - 2/18. And as we know, it takes little to shut down the roads and schools. This could all be nothing - and nothing happen, or... PPS could shut down for a week. Most likely, I imagine, it will be something in between.
We are already at a point where to lose another rehearsal (much less all of tech weekend) would make opening the show on 2/14 impossible. Jamie Miller and I have talked about multiple scenarios. There are many - and it all depends on what happens each and every day.
Everyone has worked very hard on this production so far, and it's one of the most ambitious projects in SouthWest StageWork's history. It's also one of the most exciting. So we are determined to open this show at some point - and share it - and to do that with high quality and integrity.
In preparation for contingencies, we are asking the following:
ONE
Understand that schedules may change daily. We will have to assess the weather on a day by day, hour by hour basis. Please check this blog often, and please understand we all need to be as flexible as possible.
TWO
In the worst case scenario, which means opening an entire week late, we are asking that everyone put the following dates / times on hold. We know plans may already have been made during these times. We are asking you to be as generous as is possible in rearranging your calendars so as to ensure this show can open, knowing that over 50 students are involved. If too many are unable to accommodate, there is the possibility of cancelling altogether - or canceling certain pieces.
Contingency Holds for a Delayed Opening on W 2/20
SA 2/16: 11:00a - 10:00p (Tech / Dress)
SU 2/17: 11:00a - 10:00p (Tech Dress)
M 2/18: 1:00p - 10:00p (Tech / Dress)
T 2/19: 4:00p - 10:00p (Tech Dress)
SU 2/24: 4:00p - 10:00p (Added Sunday Evening Performance)
In this scenario, we would perform 2/20, 2/21, 2/22, 2/23 (as planned on previous schedules), add an evening show on 2/24, and still be able to have 5 shows in a single week.
THREE
Please note that we would not necessarily plan to use all of the above hold dates. Everything depends on how many days are missed, and what ultimately needs to happen. As we know more, we will release holds as we are able. In all likelihood, there will be some combination of plans. Consider the above the worst case scenario.
FOUR
For those who have conflicts that absolutely cannot be undone, please email me right away. And again, please be as generous as you can be with the time. We are well aware of how challenging this is. We already had a challenging show on our hands - and potential weather has thrown the ultimate curve ball. If lucky, all of this will be moot and we will simply have some cold rain. But we want to get ahead of this and plan.
For quick reference, my email is: matthew.b.zrebski@gmail.com
In advance, thank you so much for the patience and understanding. Ultimately, this is about honoring the work of these talented student artists as well as the adult playwrights who all donated their talent to this project. And...to give audiences one of the most unique experiences they will ever have at the theatre!
MZ
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