For those of you who could not attend the meeting, here are the minutes, a.k.a things we talked about, from the meeting!:

1. Butter Braids: Fundraising opportunity. Funds earned from fundraising will be put into your personal account and you can use your funds for theatre trips, Loft Stage apparel, and other various theatre aspects. For a form to sell Butter Braids, see Ms. Hestwood. DUE DATE FOR FORMS: 10/27/14.
2. New York City: There was a meeting on 10/6/14 @ 7:00 for all people attending the New York City trip over MEA. If you could not attend the meeting, see Ms. Hestwood for more information.
3. Minnesota Thespians: A theatre organization that the Loft Stage is involved in. Minnesota Thespians connects high school thespians from all over Minnesota who all share a love for theatre. Every year there is a two-day festival and you can participate in workshops, compete in NIES and Tech Challenge, and see shows put on by other Minnesota Schools. This year we, East Ridge, are hosting the first day of the festival! The second day will be at The Guthrie. For more information about thespians, contact Abby Winston, awinston@theloftstage.org.
4. NIES for MN Thespians: National Individual Events Showcase. This is an aspect of the MN Thespian Festival. The performance Individual Events include: Monologue, Duet Acting, Group Acting, Solo Musical Theatre, Duet Musical Theatre, and Group Musical Theatre. The technical Individual Events include: Costume Construction, Costume Design, Lighting Design, Scenic Design, Short Film, Sound Design, Stage Management, and Theatre Marketing. For all rules and regulations, visit mnthespians.org. If you have any questions, contact Maggie Eckberg, meckberg@theloftstage.org, or see Ms. Hestwood.
5. Other School Shows: As part of our social and community outreach, the LoftPAC attends other schools shows. This would not be a formal field trip, but the LoftPAC officers and Ms. Hestwood will organize it. When a show rolls around, we will take a poll to see who is interested and then contact you with more information. We make it a special priority to attend our sister school’s, Woodbury and Park, shows. For more information, contact Brenna Masgai, bmasgai@theloftstage.org.

If you have any questions about what we talked about at the meeting, contact Maggie Eckberg, meckberg@theloftstage.org. Thank you!

Joey Verskotzi will help set the tone for a spectacular season at the Loft Stage by performing as the entertainment for the 6th annual Loft Stage Opening Night Gala. L’etoile Magazine describes Verskotzi as “an old-school singer-songwriter, that beautifully dying breed of chrysalis that used to dominate the rock universe.. His debut record Lemon Heart is a magnificent example of the form.. power-pop.. chamber-pop (the love of nifty arrangements and perfect harmonies), indie-pop.. perfect melodies & terrific singing all the way through.” Tickets for the November 7th gala are $10.00 and the 6:00pm event is catered by Green Mill. A silent auction to raise funds for theater education, a free photo booth and delicious treats by Mary Bolger will also be a part of our celebration. Purchase tickets to the gala and Into the Woods beginning on October 3rd!

All adults who will be volunteering to work directly with students are required to have a background check performed through District #833. Please complete the Volunteer Background Check form and  return it to Amanda Hestwood at ERHS.

A few words from your LoftPAC president, Abby Winston:

What a great start to a new school year!  In the five weeks since school started, we have been very busy here at the Loft Stage.  We started the year off with a bang with auditions for our fall musical Into the Woods.  Then, we walked in the homecoming parade, participated in the Out of the Darkness walk, and started set and costume construction!  WOW.  October is also a big month for the Loft Stage–ValleyScare on October 3^rd, Butter Braid sales, the New York trip, and more rehearsals for Into the Woods!  Thank you to all those who have been coming to set and costume construction in the past few weeks! It has been amazing seeing how many people are involved with this production.  We hope to see all of you at the next LoftPAC meeting, Monday October 6^th after school in the choir room.  Thank you for all your hard work, Lofties! 🙂

What a talented group!