February 2010
Dear Foothill Summer Theatre Cast Members and Families:
It is with very mixed emotions that the Board of Directors of Foothill Summer Theater announces that we are closing our doors after 27 seasons. We are thrilled that, under our watch, we were able to continue the program another six years, offering students the opportunity to experience Les Miserables, Kiss Me Kate, Sweeney Todd, Grease, Footloose and Godspell. We celebrated our 25th Anniversary with the original founders of the program and many alums who attended the performances. We've seen our students graduate into some of the finest theatre programs in the United States, Great Britain and Germany and have made friends who will be part of our lives forever. We put together a staff of the finest teachers to make our summer program on par with Interlochen, Idylwild and other University summer youth arts programs, at the fraction of the cost. We faced many, many challenges along the way and found ways to succeed. Most importantly, we've created memories for our students, their families and friends, the community and for ourselves.
What we can not do is keep the program running with the monies we have in our account and the shortage of students we've been facing. We've always needed 50 students to make the program viable and in the last few years we went from 50 to 30 students. Everyone has tried to help. We've all provided many hours and our skills long past the time when our own kids were out of the program. The La Canada Unified School District gave us so much assistance in the last few years. So has the press, our friends at Printefex, Don Hahn and Harry Kerker who helped us find the least expensive way to design and print programs, posters and postcards. Our beautiful (and magical) set was done by Dave Miller last year for a cost that was next to nothing and, of course, we dare anyone to say that we didn't have the absolutely finest sound design, mix and equipment of any program anywhere thanks to our beloved Shelley and Les Harrison. And how fortunate we were to have our beautiful Betsy back with us to costume our kids so caringly with costumes from our old wardrobe and those provided by Zoë.
No one wanted to offer our kids a program that was less than the finest we could provide. We are all proud of what we've accomplished and produced. But we'd rather remember FST as an unequaled success than something that ended as less. It is our hope to celebrate this remarkable program with an event we hope you'll all attend. The Board will be making plans for this in the near future.
We thank you, we love you and you've made us proud beyond anything we'd ever imagined.
Sincerely,
Linda M. Johnson and the Board of Directors of Foothill Summer Theatre
Dear Foothill Summer Theatre Cast Members and Families:
It is with very mixed emotions that the Board of Directors of Foothill Summer Theater announces that we are closing our doors after 27 seasons. We are thrilled that, under our watch, we were able to continue the program another six years, offering students the opportunity to experience Les Miserables, Kiss Me Kate, Sweeney Todd, Grease, Footloose and Godspell. We celebrated our 25th Anniversary with the original founders of the program and many alums who attended the performances. We've seen our students graduate into some of the finest theatre programs in the United States, Great Britain and Germany and have made friends who will be part of our lives forever. We put together a staff of the finest teachers to make our summer program on par with Interlochen, Idylwild and other University summer youth arts programs, at the fraction of the cost. We faced many, many challenges along the way and found ways to succeed. Most importantly, we've created memories for our students, their families and friends, the community and for ourselves.
What we can not do is keep the program running with the monies we have in our account and the shortage of students we've been facing. We've always needed 50 students to make the program viable and in the last few years we went from 50 to 30 students. Everyone has tried to help. We've all provided many hours and our skills long past the time when our own kids were out of the program. The La Canada Unified School District gave us so much assistance in the last few years. So has the press, our friends at Printefex, Don Hahn and Harry Kerker who helped us find the least expensive way to design and print programs, posters and postcards. Our beautiful (and magical) set was done by Dave Miller last year for a cost that was next to nothing and, of course, we dare anyone to say that we didn't have the absolutely finest sound design, mix and equipment of any program anywhere thanks to our beloved Shelley and Les Harrison. And how fortunate we were to have our beautiful Betsy back with us to costume our kids so caringly with costumes from our old wardrobe and those provided by Zoë.
No one wanted to offer our kids a program that was less than the finest we could provide. We are all proud of what we've accomplished and produced. But we'd rather remember FST as an unequaled success than something that ended as less. It is our hope to celebrate this remarkable program with an event we hope you'll all attend. The Board will be making plans for this in the near future.
We thank you, we love you and you've made us proud beyond anything we'd ever imagined.
Sincerely,
Linda M. Johnson and the Board of Directors of Foothill Summer Theatre
