JUGHEADS
Youth Juggling Company, LLC
5905 Concord Avenue
Edina, MN 55424
jugheads@comcast.net
612.229.3348

 

  

JJ6 Final Memo

These final three weeks of club preparation before Juggle Jam will focus on polishing our club routines and rehearsing Rock This Town and Reach. However, two above-and-beyond things to remember are Costumes/Props and Extra Rehearsals. Note the Checklist below highlighting what to bring for the dress rehearsals and shows. Post this memo in a prominent place and be responsible for its contents!

CHECKLIST for EVERY JUGHEAD for
BOTH DRESS REHEARSALS + BOTH SHOWS

  1. ___ JH T-shirt (except 4/22)
  2. ___Laundry basket, duffel bag or grocery box for storage (label everything)
  3. ___All needed juggling equipment
  4. ___Character costumes (ex.: suit)
  5. ___Character props (ex.: sword)
  6. ___Water & snacks (for long evenings)
  7. ___Book or quiet activity while not performing
  8. ___Black shorts

REHEARSALS & PERFORMANCES

  • Thursday, April 22, 6:30-9:00 p.m.-FIRST DRESS REHEARSAL: Important all-cast meeting; put together "Rock This Town" and "Reach" with all 117 performers; run through each club routine and "Raiders." Ulti-Club: We'll run through "Jumpin' Jack at 9 p.m.; please plan on staying 'til 9:15.
  • Saturday, April 24, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.-BUFFALO TEAM REHEARSAL and Optional Specialty Act Rehearsal in the Auditorium. (The Buffalo Team will only rehearse from Noon-2 p.m.)
  • Monday-Friday, April 26-30-After School Clubs + Monday Night: Final rehearsals. We'll run our in costume; please attend your club and stay 'til 5:30 (8:30 Monday night; 5 p.m. Thurs. & Fri.).
  • Wednesday, April 28, 6:00 p.m.-9:30 p.m.-Tech. Rehearsal for Specialty Acts (optional).
  • THURSDAY, APRIL 29--6:15 p.m.-9:00 p.m. FINAL DRESS REHEARSAL & PHOTO OP! We'll assemble on stage immediately at 6:30 for our only large group photo. This photo will appear at the end of our slide show, going down in history as "The 2004 Jugheads." Don't be late! The photo will be followed by a brief meeting and a complete run-through of our show in order with costumes. (We'll begin and end with "Reach.") We'll end promptly by 9:00 p.m. Get a good night's rest!
  • FRIDAY, APRIL 30-6:00-9:30 p.m. OPENING NIGHT! Check-in to the Auditorium by 6 p.m. to warm-up individually and with "Rock This Town" and organize props & costumes. The show ends around 9:15; you're free to leave after you've put away your stuff. (See Checklist below.)
  • SATURDAY, MAY 1-6:00-9:30 p.m. CLOSING NIGHT! Same as Friday; take own stuff home.

COSTUMES & PROPS

  • EVERYONE: Black shorts, any style, preferably with pockets (esp. for Thursday Rec. and Boys IJA). Juggle Jam 6 T-shirts: To be distributed April 16-23. WEAR YOUR NEW T-SHIRT TO THE FINAL DRESS REHEARSAL ON APRIL 29 for our all-cast photo.
  • ULTIMATE: Swing Sisters outfits; black shirts/shoes/pants (not cargo) + ties for "Movie Medley."
  • MONDAY NIGHT: Optional costume suggestions for "Conjunction Junction" and "Verb."
  • BOYS IJA + EXTRAS: Costumes & special props for "Return of the King." (See reverse for more.)
  • WEDNESDAY REC.: Costumes & props representing your life stage age group.
  • THURSDAY REC.: Costumes & props representing your 70's movie.
  • GIRLS IJA: Costumes & props representing your musical.
  • SPECIALTY ACTS: Costumes for all five solos, the solo/duet, the quintet and the septete
  • EMCEES: Tux, suit or elegant outfit for the boys; black dress or elegant outfit for Natalie
  • BUFFALO TEAM: JH polo shirt, long khakis for "Raiders." (Exception: Specialty Acts/Emcees.)

MISCELLANEOUS

  • Turn in unsold tickets 4/29; ticket money & stubs due 5/1 to claim prizes.
  • There WILL be club meetings after Juggle Jam. "When there's school, there's JUGHEADS."

JUGHEADS ETIQUETTE ("acceptable behavior") FOR JUGGLE JAM…

  • TOWARD THE PARENT VOLUNTEERS: Respect them as you do Paul. No talking back, no grumbling. If they say "Quiet," "Walk," "Move," etc., do it. Their job is crowd control for the sake of the perfomers and the audience, and you must obey. Every club (except Ultimate) will have two parent supervisors to tell you where you should be, and when; you'll move as a group.
  • BACKSTAGE: Whether in a club rehearsal, dress rehearsal or show, don't make noise backstage or otherwise distract the performers and the audience. Also, keep out of sight of the audience.
  • ONSTAGE: Chances are you WILL drop. Practice poised recoveries. Don't break character. Don't change choreography or tricks on show night, as this will likely mess up both you and your teammates.
  • IN THE AUDIENCE: Again, whether in a club rehearsal, dress rehearsal or the show itself, don't cross in front of the stage at any time (unless choreographed, such as in "Reach"). Don't make excessive noise, especially during the Slide Show (I'll ask the audience to hold applause until the end). If you are permitted to sit in the auditorium, DO NOT ENTER DURING THE MIDDLE OF A ROUTINE.
  • IN THE HALLWAYS: No one will be allowed near the Stage Door (where our cabinet is) unless your act is two acts away. This includes H.S. jugglers who aren't in the show. The only exception is JH Officers or others who may be assigned to help as crowd controllers, prop organizers, stage hands, etc.
  • WITH THE PROPS: You must put away your props after each routine, whether in our bins/bags or in your personal storage basket/bag/box. I recommend you use your own props for "Rock This Town" and "Reach," as I can't promise there will be enough to go around. (If we run out, and you're prop-less, you may have to skip our Grand Opener or Grand Finale.) Regardless of whose or what props you use, you MUST put them away after performing, or we'll have complete prop chaos backstage.
  • DRESSING ROOMS: The area offstage RIGHT is the boys' dressing room, and offstage LEFT is for the girls. Whereas the girls' side is large enough to accommodate The Swing Sisters and most of the girls with costume changing needs from Girls IJA, the boys' side is reserved for Ultimate Club boys only. This is due to the sheer number of boys with costumes (think "Return of the King" extras). Non-Ultimate Club boys should use the boys' bathroom (or, if available, Normandale's Art Room) for changing.
  • GETTING IN COSTUME: As a rule, get in costume as soon as possible. For instance, if you're an extra in "Return of the King," you may change as soon as your Act I club routine is over. However, be discreet about re-entering the audience to watch the end of Act I, as we don't want the costumes to be revealed to the audience yet. Masks and helmets may be put on during intermission, but it would help prevent overcrowding the bathrooms and dressing rooms if as many kids as possible changed before intermission. All three Act II Specialty Acts should also change during intermission. Even though none of you (Anthony, Swing Sisters, Stefan) are in "Return of the King", better to be changed before the quiet stampede of Boys IJA and their extras making for the bathrooms to change for "Reach."
  • ASKING QUESTIONS: Here is my suggestion for the order in which you should go to people with questions: 1) Your club officer(s) or another officer. 2) A Parent Volunteer in the hallway. 3) Mrs. Darcy Wilkund, Stagehand near the cabinet/equipment. 4) Mrs. Mary Watson, the Curtain Lady. 5) Paul Arneberg, usually offstage Right. Please ask questions of me only if you can't get your question answered by a Parent Volunteer or an Officer. I simply have to be so focused on the show (directing, occasional voiceovers and emceeing) that I can't answer every question that may come up.

MORE SPECIFIC COSTUME SUGGESTIONS FOR "RETURN OF THE KING"

  • Men of Gondor: khaki pants, white shirts (T-shirt or long-sleeve), optional helmet
  • Men of Rohan: khaki pants, earth-tone shirt (brown, tan, gray, green, etc.), optional helmet
  • Orcs: black or at least "dirty" looking pants/shirt, mask or face paint preferred, optional helmet
  • Hobbits: bare feet, greenish cloak/cape, knickers (or really short pants), suspenders, button-down shirt
  • Gollum: long, stringy black hair, shorts, no shirt (or skin-tight flesh-colored shirt)
  • Shelob: black sweatshirt with 6 extra arms, eyes sticking out of head, hump back, black pants/shoes/socks
    Trolls: flesh-toned pants/shirt, exaggerated prosthetic hands/feet/head ???
  • The Coronation: Any Orcs doubling as coronation ring jugglers need to at least remove helmets, masks, and other "evil-looking" costume items. Also, these converted Orcs should juggle toward the side and toward the back. Any Man (Gondor or Rohan) who dies may "resurrect" to juggle rings here as well.
  • Gandalf, Aragorn, Gimli, Legolas, Witch Kings, Eowyn: You all are working on your costumes. J