Special THANK YOU to everyone who joined us for our February production of Footloose! The entire cast and crew had an amazing time cutting loose and loved the fun, positive energy that each audience brought with them! If you were unable to make it, we hope that you have heard some amazing things about it from our community and that you will use this newsletter and our website to make sure you join us as often as you can for ELHS concerts and productions! Check out the picture gallery below for some highlights from this show!

On February 28, the week after we closed Footloose, a group of chorus and theatre students packed up and headed to Atlanta to explore the arts and culture of the booming city! After a pre-show dinner at the Hard Rock Cafe, we were able to take in a performance of the national tour of Les Miserables at the fabulous Fox Theatre. Did I mention that we were able to hear a pre-performance concert on The Mighty Mo pipe organ? This was a first for Mr. Franklin! Additional stops included the World of Coke, a tour of CNN studios, a visit to the Mall of Georgia, a meal stop at The Varsity, and a tour of the High Museum of Art. A new and unique experience presented itself for this trip and we jumped at the opportunity! On Saturday evening, we visited the Center for Puppetry Arts, checking out the Jim Henson collection, and watching a performance of Ashes, based on a novel by Plexus Polaire of France and Norway. We closed out our trip with a visit to the Georgia Aquarium! We are already exploring travel for next year! Stay tuned!

It has been several years since East Lincoln had an active International Thespian Society troupe. So, this spring we thought we would bring it back to life! ITS is an international organization devoted to all aspects of the theatre and academic excellence. To be inducted, students must have completed 100 hours of theatre work, have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher, and have no grade less than an A in any theatre course. Inducted students become leaders of their troupe and the theatre program at their school, participating in community service, and continuing to maintain academic excellence.

We had the opportunity to take five of our underclassmen, who are already strong leaders in our program, to this year's NC Thespian Festival in Greensboro. This year was all about listening, watching, and learning in order to bring information back to their East Lincoln peers. From workshops on improvisation and costuming on a dime, to taking in Individual Event performances from peers across the state, to watching one-act plays performed by NC troupes, the East students not only had a blast but brought a lot of information home to share! We are very excited to see this organization grow over the next year!

On Thursday, March 28, the East Lincoln Chorus performed a concert devoted to some of the fabulous music from the Great White Way! Selections ranged from Into The Woods to currently running shows like Dear Evan Hansen and Hamilton! Thank you to everyone who came out and shared in our night of music!

On April 1, 2019, we will be kicking off our "Guess The Season" contest! There is a contest for students and a contest for adults. Each week throughout April, we will be releasing one clue for each of our three 2019-2019 mainstage productions. Each week in May, we will begin sorting one clue per show into its respective slot. The 2019-2020 season will be announced at our end-of-year banquet on June 1.

Here is where the contest comes in! Students and adults may submit one guess each week for our three mainstage shows. On June 1, after the season has been announced, the winners will be announced. The winner in each contest will be the person to guess all three shows correctly, the earliest. The adult winner will receive two tickets to each of our mainstage shows during the 2019-2020 school year. The student winner will receive two tickets to see Aladdin at Belk Theatre in Charlotte in September.

Make sure that you are following us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to see our clues as they are released. To submit your guess, click here. Remember, you may only guess one time per week. Additional submissions will be discarded. New guesses begin each Monday!

Good Luck!

On Tuesday, April 16, we will be having an organizational meeting for students, parents, and community members who are interested in supporting the chorus and theatre programs at East Lincoln. This meeting is a chance for everyone to hear where we are as well as our short and long term goals. In order to see these programs continue to grow, it is going to be important to have a variety of support systems available.

WAIT! Don't stop reading yet!

Coming to this meeting is not going to obligate you to monthly meetings or unlimited fundraising! Our hope, through this group, is to create a community within our community that is able to help communicate the activities and needs of our programs to the community at large as they go through their daily routine. We also hope to discover talents, skills, and hobbies that will be mutually beneficial as we move through our variety of performances.

The meeting will begin at 6 PM in the chorus room and light snacks will be provided. Please consider coming out and seeing how you might be able to help create amazing experiences for the East Lincoln students. Whether a little or a lot, your help will be greatly appreciated!

If you have questions, please contact Mr. Franklin at (704) 736-1860, extension 25302, or at gregory.franklin@lcsnc.org.

Thursday, May 9 at 7 PM
Friday, May 10 at 7 PM
Saturday, May 11 at 7 PM

East Lincoln Black Box Theater
Tickets $7

Tickets can be purchased online at www.EastLincolnOnStage.org
or at the door one hour prior to showtime.

May 30 at 7 PM

East Lincoln Black Box Theater

**This performance is the culminating event of Fine Arts Night at East Lincoln High School. Come early and explore student work from the visual arts program and hear the jazz band jam!

Join The East Lincoln High Theatre Students

For A Summer Production Camp!

Who:

Rising Kindergarten through 8th Grade students

When:

July 15- 19, 2019 from 9 AM to 2 PM each day

Where:

East Lincoln High School

Cost:

Advanced Registration is $150 through June 10.

**After May 17, registration fees will be $175.

Performance:

Friday, July 19 at 6 PM in the East Lincoln High School

Black Box Theater. Admission will be $5.

Food Information:

Students will need a packed lunch each day.

Additional Information:

During camp, students will have the opportunity to work

on many different elements of theatre production. They

will learn music, work on choreography to bring it to life,

and will help with the creation of the set and prop pieces!

Many students will also have speaking parts to master!

Questions:

Call (704) 966-9745

Email: gregory.franklin@lcsnc.org

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER!

We are so grateful to the local businesses and organizations who sponsored and advertised with us for 2019! When you have the chance to support these businesses, please do, and let them know how much you appreciate their support of the performing arts at East Lincoln!

It's not too late to become a sponsor for 2019! If you are interested, check out the information below!

We love to hear the words, "How can I help?" There are several ways to support the great work of our East Lincoln performers. Check out the various opportunities below and see if there are one or more areas you are led to support.

We accept donations year-round and while monetary donations are great, there are other donations that help us just as much! Below are some items that are currently on our need list. Some items are a one-time need, others are ongoing needs. No matter what type of donation you are able to make, it will be appreciated, and we will make sure to provide you with documentation of your generosity! As you might imagine, our needs change regularly. You can always see the most up-to-date list on our website under "Support Us."

All artists deserve a venue where they are able to share their work with others in an environment that dignifies not only the finished product but also the creative process. With the absence of an auditorium, we are trying to create such a space for our performers and community members. In previous years, steps were taken to begin a conversion process making the current theatre classroom a more formal black box environment. We have continued with that work this fall and are very excited about what we have been able to accomplish thus far. Unfortunately, the next few steps are not only the largest but also the most expensive. To truly make this space a proper performance environment, we need to add a theatrical grid on the ceiling, curtains, and a lighting system. It is our hope that there are performing arts supporters in our community that would enjoy contributing and being a part of this very exciting transformation! If you are interested in contributing to our "Extreme Makeover" or would like more information about the project, please contact director Greg Franklin at gregory.franklin@lcsnc.org.

We hope you will also share this information with others in our community so that others know of the need and have an opportunity to be a part of this work.