Academic All Star Amanda Hestwood on  THE STATE OF THE LOFT, 2015 Edition.  Plus when she’d pass the buck to Jimmy.  Literally.

Q:  This has been another year of immense theatrical success for the Loft Stage at ERHS.  What’s your secret?

A:  I really don’t think there is a secret to our success. A simple formula of talented and hardworking kids, combined with talented and hardworking staff and supportive and hardworking parents equals unstoppable success.

Q:  The winds of change are blowing. How challenging will it be to continue to offer student experiences and to stage productions of this caliber?

A:  The winds of change are blowing and the hard part is not knowing what will change, when it will change or how it will change. We have been well supported since day one. I for one am hoping this will not change under the new administration.

Q:  What are your biggest hopes and fears regarding the future of the Loft at ERHS?

A:  I hope they will recognize what we are doing and leave us alone to do it.  Let’s stay with hopes for now and not dwell on the fear of the unknown.

Q:  What does District 833 leadership/administration need to know about the Loft’s educational theater program?

A:  Our program is student centered. Know what that means and come and see it in action. Ask questions! Know what you are making decisions about before you change what is not just working, but working really well.

Q:  What can we as a theater community do to help?

A:  Share your pride. Talk about what we are doing. Show pictures. Invite people to participate as appropriate. Continue to lend yourself to the continuous improvement we all strive for.

Q:  What would you do if you were handed a million dollars?

A:  I am sure Jimmy has a list. 🙂

The 2015 – 2016 LoftPAC Officers:

Keepers of close ties, high hopes, and big dreams.

BRENDAN FINN  Hey everyone! I am so excited to be co-president for the LoftPAC 2015-2016 season! My main goal for the LoftPAC this year is to celebrate each other’s artistic spirit through kindness, love, and empathy. Every single Loftie has something amazing to offer to the program, so, we need to embrace each other to make our program something that we will remember and cherish for years to come! If we can all come together and work hard, we can make this year the best the program has ever had! Who’s with me!?! (Team puts hands in, does a sporting cheer, goes to the scoreboard…Sports? Theatre? How does that work…?) <3

MAGGIE ECKBERG  I am beyond excited to be a co-president this year! This will be my second year as a LoftPAC officer and I am so proud of what we accomplished last year and I am looking forward to seeing what more we will accomplish this year! This year I would like to continue working towards extending the community of LoftPAC and The Loft Stage not only to actors, techies, and orchestra members, but also to our other sister schools, Woodbury and Park. I also would like to increase Loftie attendance at the MN Thespian Festival and at other Loftie outings! I hope the rest of the LoftPAC officers and I make the new freshman feel welcome next year and continue to build the community of our LoftPAC! Let’s have a great year Lofties!

BRENNA MASGAI  As LoftPAC communications officer, my hope/dream for the Loft and all of its members this year is for everybody to really feel connected like a family. Of course my other dream is always to create amazing, wonderful shows that the Loft has always been known for–I just hope we make this year one that nobody will forget!

CALI YEE  I am so happy to be a part of this year’s LoftPAC officers! As historian, I want to capture all of the wonderful memories that happen on the stage and backstage! I hope to ensure that everyone feels welcome and that we keep the positivity going throughout this year at the Loft Stage!  I want to guarantee that we reach out to the Woodbury community and to other schools throughout this area. Lastly, I hope that we can not only be a part of what goes on onstage but also a part of what goes on backstage, whether that be tech, set construction, or costuming! This is going to be such an awesome year!! 🙂

ERIN FOY  Hello!! I’m Erin Foy, the 2015-16 Community Building LoftPAC Officer, and I am supremely excited for the coming year at the Loft Stage. I hope to continue strengthening the bonds of the East Ridge theater family, keep up the positive and welcoming atmosphere that we all know and love, and give the Lofties a noticeable presence in our community, from involvement in more community events, to the full support of the other high schools in the area, to the continued fostering of the next generation of Lofties in elementary and middle school, along with many more opportunities. I cannot wait to get started.

ISABELLA WURM  This year I hope that we can expand what we already do with Community Outreach. I think that through community outreach projects and events we can not only benefit organizations and reach people outside of the Loft, but also help bring together all Lofties, whether they be orchestra members, techies, actors, etc. As someone who’s in Pit and works on ‘behind the scene’ type things, I want to help bridge the gap between people who participate in various roles in theater, and I think that community outreach is a great way to do so!  Both community outreach and our theater program are very important to me and so I’m very excited to be able to combine those two things!

ARE YOU GETTING THE NEWSLETTER????~It is essential that you and/or your parent are signed up and receiving the newsletter. If you are not, please see Ms.Hestwood ASAP. There is a lot of important info going out on each one of the newsletters and it is essential that you know everything!

Loft Stage Summer Camp (Aug.3-7)~Lofties, please check your availability for these dates to help at our annual Loft Stage Summer Camp! We would love to have a lot of volunteers to help with the kids and possibly run workshops. Sign up with your availability outside of Ms.Hestwood’s office.

Reminder: Look out for upcoming dates for our Summer shop clean-out day and the beginning of summer set construction for Fiddler! All dates will be able to be found in upcoming newsletters and the website soon.

Aug 29th~ Floats and a Float! Please join us for our annual Root Beer Float Party for incoming freshmen Lofties and working on the Woodbury Days Float for the Loft Stage! Let any incoming freshmen that you know about this and spread the word! Look out for a time in upcoming newsletters and the website soon.

Aug 30th~Woodbury Days Parade! Lofties, please join us in representing The Loft Stage in the annual Woodbury Days parade! More info coming soon!

Do you or someone you know have a pick-up truck? Do you or someone you know have a trailer? If the answer was yes to either of those questions, please contact Ms. Hestwood ASAP!

Thanks for a fantastic year LoftPAC! 🙂

LoftPAC president Abby Winston has known plenty of triumphs and tribulations during her four years as an ERHS Loftie, but she’s not complaining about that roller coaster ride, because when she found the Loft, she found friends like no other.

Q: As a student leader of the Loft Stage, what have been your high points and low points this year?

A: My high point of the year was definitely the whole process of Into the Woods. From auditions to the closing of the show, the cast was so dedicated and so excited to make every aspect of the show the very best it could be. The closeness of the cast is like nothing I’ve ever experienced. My low point of the year is a personal one. It was really difficult not being cast in the winter play. Not being in the show made me lose connection with the rest of the program, so I felt like I wasn’t being a very good LoftPAC president. I hope I redeemed myself in the Spring 🙂

Q:  You’ve been deeply involved in theater for the past four years.  What is your absolutely favorite memory?

A: My absolute favorite memory of my four years at The Loft Stage is the hour and a half between when we were told that the cast list for Into the Woods would be posted and the time when it actually was posted. Everyone was on Twitter–actors, pit members, crew members, alumni– waiting for the list. There were many “Agony” jokes and encouraging tweets at each other. The fun on Twitter before the list was posted made waiting for the list a little easier, and really started off the positive musical cast camaraderie that I talked about before.

Q:  From your student perspective, what is the Loft Stage’s greatest strength?  How about its greatest weakness?

A: The Loft Stage’s greatest strength is the talent that we have here. But that is also its greatest weakness. Obviously our amazing talent allows us to put on shows that rival some professional productions, but it also can discourage new people from auditioning and even current Lofties from setting high goals for themselves.

Q: If you could change one thing about the Loft or the Loftie experience, what would it be?

A: If I could change one thing about the Loftie experience, it would be to not take everything so seriously. This is still high school theatre! We can have an incredible production and still have fun- especially during audition week.

Q: Who would you want to play you in a movie?

A: Zooey Deschanel, obviously. Another awkward brunette with bangs who plays the ukulele.

Q: What words of wisdom do you have for the Loft Theater students who will be here next year?

A: My words of wisdom for current and future Lofties is to not let an award affect how you feel about your performance. I know how obsessed we all get about SpotLight during the musical, but please don’t let SpotLight results determine how you felt about your performance. If you were proud of yourself before SpotLight awards were announced, don’t let your award change your opinion of yourself.

SIDE NOTE: It has been such a pleasure leading you guys this year. You guys are my best friends, my biggest supporters, and my favorite people in the whole world, so continue to be amazing, and I can’t wait to see what you do in the future!

-Love, Abby