November 20, 2011
Dear Nutcracker Chaperones,
Thank you for volunteering to work on Oregon Ballet Theatre’s 2011 production of The Nutcracker. I am the Chaperone Coordinator, this year, and will do my best to use everyone who expressed interest in helping. From our collective availability, I need to create a schedule that covers all the hours that our children are called to the theatre. No small task! Boy, am I grateful to follow two coordinators extraordinaire, Gail Schroeder and Liana Winett.
The Children’s Cast includes Party Boys & Girls, Battle, Angels, Polichinelles, Candy Canes, and Chinese Tea. Volunteers represent parents in all these groups – though of course not in equal number – so please do not be surprised or alarmed if your Chaperone shift is for a role other than what your child/ren dances. I will work very hard to only call you to the theatre when your child is called, of course, and also to schedule you for the same act in which your child performs. Please bring any snafus to my attention right away and I will re-schedule as necessary. Generally speaking, chaperones are needed 30 mins. before the call-time for the group they are covering, and might need to stay as late as 15 mins. past the group’s release time, if parents are running late for pick-up. This will make more sense to new chaperones as we begin to post the schedule.
The need for chaperones begins with Tech Week, when we move into the theatre. You will find these dates noted on our Overview Schedule as Wed., Dec. 7 - Fri., Dec. 9. Technical and Dress rehearsals require a heavy chaperone schedule, since often both casts are called at the same time. As soon as we receive more detail about those dates, I will get the first round of chaperone schedules out to you all. After those long, late, Tech days, the show opens on Dec. 10 and we will chaperone throughout the run of 14 performances, closing on December 24.
While in the theatre, our tasks are to ensure the children’s safety, orderly conduct, timely arrival in make-up and wardrobe, prompt response to their stage calls, and a safe return from the stage to wardrobe, and then back up to the 5th floor dressing room. Usually, this will require 10-14 chaperones per rehearsal or performance. We might see a lot of each other! We have rigorous safety protocol, which includes wearing Chaperone Badges, making sure we always know where each child in our group is, and helping the children to remember to check-in and out, as they enter and leave the theatre.
To build the schedule, I am working from your availability as indicated on the Chaperone Questionnaires collected earlier this fall. If you know of additional dates you are not available, or your schedule/contact info has changed, please let me know. Shari has copies of your questionnaires at the studio, so if you want to take a look at how you noted your availability, just let her know. As soon as casting is released, likely at the end of Thanksgiving Weekend, I can start to fit the puzzle together. I know this is also when parents will purchase tickets to see their children perform, so please think of emailing me your updated availability as that occurs. My contact information follows.
I look forward to working with all of you! Welcome to The Nutcracker.
Sincerely,
