Children’s release forms needed
By Donnie A. Lucas
Rehearsals for the 85th anniversary production of the Fort Griffin Fandangle start on Sunday, May 7 with the children’s numbers, continuing with a full slate of various rehearsals on Sundays through Thursdays throughout May and June.
The performance dates for the show this year are June 16-17 and June 23-24, with the annual parade set for Saturday, June 17.
Tickets for the show are currently on sale on the Fandangle website at www.fortgriffinfandangle.org.
“Our biggest priority currently continues to be getting parents to register children who will be in the show before their first rehearsal on Sunday,” artistic director Lorna Ayers said. “Anyone who has a child in the show for any scene must fill out and sign the registration form on the website before they come to rehearsals.”
The children’s rehearsals will be held on Sundays at 6:00 p.m.
Parents should go to the website and click on the cast tab to find the link to the permission form and release. The password to the cast portion of the website is “2023.”
“We have had a lot of response already, so I think that we will have more kids than ever,” she said. “That is good news, because it means we will have more adult family members too.”
Anyone with children in grade school or younger must also be in the show to supervise their child.
“Now is the time for anyone wanting to be in the show to come to practice,” Ayers said. “You didn’t have to be in the Sampler in order to be in the summer show, but you do need to come to practices starting this week.”
She added that she is still adding people to almost all scenes, but she needs to fill all remaining parts quickly.
The Beehive scene rehearsals will be held on Monday nights, while the other large group numbers will alternate on Tuesdays and Thursday between “A” practices for “Lock, Stock, and Barrel,” “Homeplace,” and “Thundering Herd.”
The “B” rehearsals for large groups will include the cast featured in “Puttin’ on the Style,” “Griffin Street Scene,” the train scene, and “Texas.”
“We are alternating the “A” and “B” nights, so everyone needs to pay attention to the schedule that is on the website,” Ayers said. “We need to cast the rest of the parts for each scene that weren’t in the Sampler, so it is really important that everyone comes to practice. These first couple of general rehearsals will be important if you want to be cast in a singing or acting part.”
Rehearsals on Mondays through Thursday will start at 7:30 p.m., with children in the Indian sequence, square dancing, or Little Devils continuing to practice on Sunday evenings at 6:00 p.m.
“We will use children in most of the big production numbers as well, but they must be accompanied on stage by a parent,” she said.
Cast members should also sign up for the Remind app to receive reminders of rehearsals, including any last-minute changes. Cast and crew members can join the Remind notifications by texting @fandan to 81010.
Currently, no rehearsals are planned on Friday and Saturday nights.
Wednesday night practices are reserved for teenagers in Huppi Hi, Yoloda, or the Train will start at 7:30 p.m.
“The construction and rock work to the audience seating and walkways has been completed,” she said. “We still have a few final tweaks to the electrical and sound that should be finished by the first rehearsal on Sunday.”
Cast members are again asked to use the cast parking lot, although the front entrance has been opened again after repairs were made.
