November:  BLUNDERLAND is officially over.  We had a great turnout, and our actors were amazing, as usual.  They have really come together as a cohesive unit, helping one another, and it shows in their performances. The cast was almost all returnees this time, with several actors doubling up on their parts.  We anticipate a larger cast for our next show, with many new faces!
We were able to use our new sound system and lights for the first time, and the survey results were almost 100% positive.  Music by Wally Minko at the start of the show and during intermission brought us a wonderful new experience and upped our show to a new level!
We are in the process of making DVDs of BLUNDERLAND, so if you missed it, or just want to remember it, you can order yours on our website by going to our home page and clicking on the link.
We had more new volunteers this year. Sammie Posner and Kayla Mims did outstanding work as our new makeup team, creating the finishing touches to the professional costumes provided by Daisy’s Costumes.
Sharky’s catered our actor dinners both Friday and Saturday nights, and the food was yummy. Thank you!
And did you see our new tee shirts?  They are beautiful and look good on everyone.  You can buy one in charcoal or red by going to our home page and clicking on the link.
On a final note about the show, we wish to thank everyone who helped.  We are so lucky to have such a supportive group of parents and staff, who want the show to be as good as it can be.  We couldn’t do this without everyone’s help, so thank you.  And a huge thank you to Sue Opalk, who helped coordinate the event.  She is our new Administrative Director, and she is doing a great job.
We had our cast party at Souplantation this year, and it was so much fun.  We combined it with a fundraiser, so thank you to everyone who came out to support us.  We have big plans for the coming year, including a Valentine Dance, Art Auction, and of course, our next show in May.  See you soon and HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

October:  This is our last newsletter before we are taken over by the insanity that comes before a production. So many things are happening that it’s hard to keep track.
Our show is coming along really well. The actors are getting ready for the big day. All of our costumes have been donated this year by Daisy’s Costumes in Lancaster. The actors had their first fittings and the costumes look amazing.
Our incredible set design artist, Kevin Morey, has started the backdrop for Blunderland. He’s in my driveway right now painting, and it looks great as usual!
We’d also like to give a shout-out to our other brilliant props peeps: Laurie Garris, Linda Stegal, Mike Tarzian, Jong Kim, Suzanne Katambwe, Andy Halpin, Laura Zeh, and Curt Hill. We couldn’t do it without all these wonderful volunteers!
And thanks to Robert Lara, a professional photographer, who donated his time and equipment taking lovely formal portraits of our actors for the playbill. You are in for a surprise!
A few notes about the show. This year, we are introducing box dinners, prepared by Chef Barry Major. These dinners are being sold only online, in advance, by October 21. They are delicious, so make sure you put in your order. All the information can be found by clicking HERE.
We have Grammy nominated jazz pianist and composer Wally Minko, who is playing a set with some friends before the show, and during intermission. So you can eat your box dinners and listen to some great music before Blunderland!!

September: We have so many surprises in store for you in Blunderland!  As usual, it is not your typical play, but loaded with the unexpected.  The actors remain jazzed about the musical numbers, and the energy is visible.  Everyone is on track to memorizing Act 1 and Act 2.  Choreography will be added in the next few weeks.  We will be ready to rock you!!
We would like to send a BIG THANK YOU to a few more of our amazing volunteers:
Everyone knows the smiling face of Troy Scales, who is our Sound Director for every practice, dress rehearsal, and performance. Troy is also a big part of our social media team and keeps MIT in the news.
Bob Erio is a welcome addition to our group and is filming a both a teaser for our website and a documentary – The Making of Blunderland.  It is fun watching him engage the actors and chart the progress of our rehearsals.  We say goodbye to our choreographer Ruby Tarzian, who is now working on a show out of state.  And hello to Syreeta Brown!  Syreeta is a great dance teacher and choreographer who has previously taught many of our actors.  We are excited to work with her on Blunderland.  We also want to send a special thanks to Laura Zeh who devotes her time to MIT in helping with the practices, costumes, and props.
We have secured a venue for our November 4 show!  More info to follow, with ticket sales starting soon! Stay tuned!

August : Blunderland is moving full speed ahead – we are almost finished with Act One!  The actors are gaining confidence with each rehearsal in a relaxed and fun atmosphere.  They can watch their movements during the musical numbers in the large mirrors, making a huge difference in their performances. A few actors have already memorized their lines, but most are still using their scripts. Our goal for August is to have all the actors memorize their lines from Act One.
We have some amazing volunteers to acknowledge but we only have room for a few here. Karla Posner is our Backstage Manager and knows all our actors. She does absolutely everything backstage and makes our lives so much easier. Kimmee Posner helps Karla and is also our Curtaineer. Both Karla and Kimmee did such a great job during our last production, we are so appreciative that they are back.
We have discovered a great new way to fundraise. Facebook has a feature you can use – instead of a gift for your birthday, ask your friends and family donate to Major Impact Theater.  A few of our supporters have tried this, and it has been very successful. If you are interested in having your own birthday fundraiser and need help, contact Sue Opalk (661) 510-4710.
We are now on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, so add us if you haven’t already.  If you would like to receive our monthly email update, please provide your email address to majorimpacttheater.org@gmail.com. If you would like to receive a hard copy of our newsletter mailed to you monthly, please provide your mailing address.
More next month!

July : This has been a very exciting time for MIT.  We just started rehearsals for our next show – Blunderland, based on Alice in Wonderland, tentatively scheduled for early November 2017. It is bursting with songs, dances and fun characters.  Our actors are having a blast with it. We love our amazing rehearsal space at Spotlight Arts Center. The actors can watch themselves practice in a wall of full-length mirrors, and the floors are great for dancing. We have a few new aspiring actors, as well as many seasoned actors, who are stepping up and taking on more lines and musical numbers. Through a grant from the City of Santa Clarita, we now own an incredibly powerful sound system, so no more issues with the sound. We’re so happy with the direction that MIT is taking and sincerely thank everyone who has helped us grow.