Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Reunion and Tribute Wrap Up

July 31, 2012

Congratulations to one and all on a successful All Class Reunion and Picnic on July 14, 2012, as well as a wonderful Tribute to Barbara Gensler. As the SHS Alumni Association begins its new year (July 1, 2012-June 30, 2013), we can relax and know the year will start after a big, collaborative, successful effort. Dave Fidlin of the Shorewood NOW did a very nice write up, and the spot on Channel 4 news was lovely as well.
Shorewood Now, July 16, 2012: http://www.shorewoodnow.com/news/a-triumphant-curtain-call-4t65o03-162880296.html
Channel 4 News: http://www.todaystmj4.com/news/local/162508196.html

The SHS Alumni Association is thrilled to report the Tribute brought in over $13,000 in ticket sales and donations, and the reunion Picnic $6,500 in lunch, beer, raffle, tshirt and silent auction funds. The final adjusted numbers after expenses will be approximately $12,000 for the Tribute and $1,500 for the Picnic. This will be the first year that the picnic was in the black AND we handled all the food, beer, and music ourselves. Thank you to all the volunteers who helped out, the generous donors who provided items for the raffle and silent auction, the musicians, PA system, hours of work and all who came and enjoyed the event. I look forward to representing the SHS Alumni Association at the next Shorewood School Board meeting to alert them to the funds that we will put in an interest-bearing, no-fee CD while we continue to grow the fund. The picnic funds will help offset operational expenses and allow us to grow the membership even more.

If you would like to donate to the Fund, to the Alumni Association, or have a special project in mind like the Class of '61 trophy cases that will be going into the Lobby of the Auditorium, or would like to donate money to go directly to fiscal year 2012-2013, please make checks out to SHS Alumni, forward them to our PO Box at 11427, Shorewood, WI 53211 with specific instructions, and I will personally deliver the check to the School Board (is recorded in the minutes) in front of the community.

A special thanks to those of you who have recently renewed or joined the Alumni Association. Your $25 goes directly to programming like the picnic, and to the membership newsletter printing and postage. We will have the updated Membership list available soon. The outpouring of support has created a deluge of paperwork which I'm happy to sort.

To celebrate the success and visibility of SHS Alumni, put on some red and grey and go see the new Alumni Wall of Fame at the local Shorewood Culver's. On their own, Peter and George Dimitropoulos, the owners, have been collecting memorabilia of notable alumni from the Wikipedia site, and they'll unveil the permanent wall of signed photographs and playbills and posters on Wednesday, August 1, as part of their ten year anniversary in Shorewood. An unlikely place for us to be recognized, but it's a very sweet gesture on their part. I scream, you scream, we all scream U-rah-rah (or something like that).

Thanks to all for making Shorewood such a special place,
Jenny Steinman Heyden
SHS Alumni President

SHS Alumni Board 2012-2013
Vice President, Bill Trost Class of '53
Secretary, Jennifer Kringel, Class of '86
Treasurer, Christopher Trost, Class of '78
Desty Lorino, Class of '75
Doris Kitazaki, Class of '86
Reunion Liaison, Geri Berg, Class of '80
Merchandise Director, Rachel De Hartog, Class of '95
Newsletter Liaison, William Evans, Class of '75
Ad Hoc Barbara Gensler Tribute Director, Susan Knudten, Class of '82

Sunday, July 15, 2012

July 14, 2012

Thank you to all who shared this special time together yesterday and connected with Shorewood in so many ways. The picnic was sunny, music was great, the brats cooked up nicely - crispy on the outside, and the nostalgic patter of friends new and old mixed in the air with wonderful music. This year we are happy to report no one got locked in the underground tunnel on the tour, and the flashlights worked well (thank you Jane Earle for testing them and putting in fresh batteries). The tribute to Barbara Gensler which followed the picnic was a seamless, heartfelt and professional production to an eager and loving crowd that left not a dry eye in the house, and explored the depths of Gensler's legacy. I don't think I'm alone in feeling a sense of awe at the day, and then of the extremely honest and caring sentiments shared by former students and Barbara Gensler herself. It was a joy to have such a lovely reception afterward (thank you Geri Berg and friends). The Tribute got nice coverage on WTMJ: http://www.todaystmj4.com/news/local/162508196.html If you find it in the press, please forward a link. If you have pictures you'd like to share, send them in! Post also to the facebook page if you'd like, here:

I would like thank the other volunteers on the Alumni Board and all the volunteers who worked harder than they thought they were going to I'm sure. The bartending staff from Three Lions Pub deserves a round..of applause. If you stop by the pub, please say thanks.

I can't say enough good things about the highly skilled and talented crew and cast for the Gensler tribute. Thanks to Shorewood High School for supporting all of these events and allowing us to have technical director Patrick Spreadbury's time for the show, as well as four crew members. Thank you, Sue Knudten ('82), for stepping up and running the operation from Denver and then nonstop from Friday through Saturday that raised funds (working on the totals today) for the school - and to your posse that did it on a dime. President Barack Obama even knew about it and sent his best to Barbara in a personal letter.

Theatre named: There is a new plaque in the lobby honoring Barbara Gensler Theatre of the Dramatic Arts. John O'Hara, local photographer, took the picture that is on the plaque. His pictures of July 14, 2012 will be available in an online gallery tomorrow. Check out his show of photographs at Anaba Tea Room through September.

We hope to have a few ways to see this show again, to help you feel like you were there. Mark Augustine compiled the video tributes, videotaped the show in its entirety, and will be working with the team to produce it. The program will be online soon. If you would like a .pdf emailed to you, send a request to shorewoodalumni.org.

Next year's picnic will be Saturday, July 13, 2013! Thanks to all of you for helping to spread the word about both events this year - please let your friends and family know to save the date for next year. Some of you have let us know you'd like to jump in, too! That would be great - we could use more volunteers as the event grows. Just contact me at shorewoodalumni@gmail.com and we'll start a list for next year.

In the meantime, think about joining the Alumni Association. Your financial support helps our all-volunteer group send more mailings and find more classmates, host more events, and celebrate the education and connections we all got at Shorewood.

Best wishes and congratulations on a day full of memories,
Jenny Steinman Heyden, SHS Board President, and the Shorewood High School Alumni Board

SHS Alumni Board and Officers:
Vice President, Bill Trost Class of '53
Secretary, Jennifer Kringel, Class of '86
Treasurer, Christopher Trost, Class of '78
Desty Lorino, Class of '75
Doris Kitazaki, Class of '86
Reunion Liaison, Geri Berg, Class of '80
Merchandise Director, Rachel De Hartog, Class of '95
Newsletter Liaison, William Evans, Class of '75
Barbara Gensler Tribute Coordinator, Susan Knudten, Class of '82

Saturday, June 30, 2012

Quick Update from the Prez

14 Days til the Picnic and Tribute on July 14th!
Three things to do today!
1 - Book your tickets! Tab to the desired event, scroll down, and be all set today!
2 - Send a message if you can't come - deadline extended, see e-z instructions below.
3 - We need volunteers for the event: 5 Grillers 11-2:30 (free beer or water for you and a lifetime of good karma!); 4 Food Servers; 4 Registration people (seated); 1 Tour/ Waiver/Flashlight manager for Tunnel tours; 2 Silent Auction/Raffle handlers; 1 Raffle Ticket roaming huckster; 1 Baton twirler; 1 Juggler; 3 Licensed Bartenders (will get license for Shorewood);1 wandering minstrel; 4 Ticket takers in the Lobby (2-3:30pm); 6 Ushers for Tribute; 4 Babysitters (shifts 11-1,1-3,3-6); and 2 Game Players with the kids. Interested? Jenny shorewoodalumni@gmail.com

If you can't make the Tribute for Gensler and you'd like to have been there, consider sending a message to be included in a video that will be played during the performance.

Don't overthink it, just do it! We've made it easier to send a greeting to Mrs. Gensler...just grab your smartphone, make a quick video, and email it directly to alum Mark Augustine at mark@postmark.tv. 10 seconds is fine, even 2 seconds makes an impact, 1 minute is max. Deadline extended to July 3. Let's show her some love!

Join the facebook chatting about both events:
Picnic:https://www.facebook.com/events/313478695364527/
Tribute:https://www.facebook.com/events/137633006368447/

Saturday, June 23, 2012

Call for Your Creative Individual Photos and Videos for Tribute!

Deadline June 30!

SHS Theater Alumni and all messages for Barbara Gensler – Show Us Your Stuff! Grab your video camera, camera phone, camera and/or scanner! We need your videos and images to air during the Barbara Gensler Tribute Show. DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION IS JUNE 30. Make sure you read the instructions below first…
Videos
• Max 1 minute long (Want an exception? Email Susan Knudten at susan@susanknudten.com and make your case.)
• Content ideas: record a short tribute, show what you're up to now, just say thanks! Been in a post-HS show, film, TV show or commercial? Send in a short clip!
• Short is good. We’ll combine quick ones like this: “Hi Mrs. G! I’m ___ from Class of __. Thanks for everything!” So grab a smartphone and record it now.
• If you are making a smartphone video, please be sure to hold the phone horizontally, like a TV.
• These video file formats are all OK: mov .mp4 .m4v .avi .wmv.
• More sophisticated? Output your movie in h.264, you fancypants.
• Questions? Email Mark Augustine at mark@postmark.tv.

Images
• These will be projected on a large screen so higher-resolution is good.
• Ideas: old program covers, photos from shows, photos of you performing post-HS, anything fun/funny/interesting related to your SHS Drama days or that Mrs. Gensler might like to see. Maybe it’s you and your family holding a sign that says, “Thanks!” Or a shot of you teaching, public-speaking, or leading a conga line. Go ahead and get creative!

Where/How to Upload
Use this link to upload videos AND images: https://dropbox.yousendit.com/GenslerVideos
• Fill in your name and email.
• In the Subject box, indicate whether you are uploading a photo, a video or both.
• In the Message box, give some details about the photos/videos, suggested text to use with photos, or any other info you would like to get across.
• Then click on the Select File button and choose your items. You can select multiple items but please explain each in your Message.
• You can also send each item separately with a description if that's simpler.

Again, DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION IS JUNE 30. Questions about the show? Contact Susan Knudten at susan@susanknudten.com.

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

SHS Drama in the News: Barbara Gensler and AIDA

May 16, 2012

Just a note to share some fun online links to interviews about Shorewood High School's Drama Department that aired yesterday. Thought you might get a kick out of 'em.
Please share with those who may be interested!

RADIO:
Mitch Teich from 89.7 Lake Effect, a WUWM local NPR show, interviewed Director Barbara Gensler and a few cast members (Glenn Helme, Lydia Hartlaub, Simon Earle, Anne Guadagnino) during the rehearsal for the current show, AIDA, which runs this Thursday 5/17, Friday 5/18 and Saturday 5/19.
Tickets are still available! Book online www.shorewooddrama.org, or come to the box office 3:30-6pm any day this week(414-963-6940).

The link to the Lake Effect story is here: Aired 5/15/12 http://www.wuwm.com/programs/lake_effect/lake_effect_segment.php?segmentid=9227



Photo: Lydia Hartlaub as Aida and cast in Shorewood High School's Spring Musical (and is interviewed in Lake Effect piece).



TV:
Also, WTMJ4's The Morning Blend did a piece about the show (thank you, Steve Wexler, Class of '79 and General Manager of WTMJ!).

Featured on the clip from Morning Blend are (from right) Jenny Steinman Heyden, SHS Principal Matt Joynt, Costumer Laura Meyer, Tech Director Patrick Spreadbury, Henry Cummings (student, lead, Radames), Martha Hellermann (student, lead,Aida), student cast members Deme Hellwig, Julia Wilkinson, Glenn Helme, and Harvey Buckner.  
Link: Aired 5/15/12 http://www.themorningblend.com/videos/151059975.html

Save that date for July 14, 2012 Reunion Picnic, Barb Gensler Tribute, and more, for all classes!

Deadline to be part of the Tribute (planning, performance, etc) is May 19th - Email susan@susanknudten.com, SHS Class of '82, who has taken on this task via Colorado!

Best,
Jenny Steinman Heyden
SHS Alumni President'86
Website: www.shorewoodalumni.org
Email: shorewoodalumni@gmail.com
Facebook: Shorewood High School Alumni Association Shorewood WI

Sunday, May 6, 2012

Spring Musical, Save the Date for Picnic & Gensler Tribute

Greetings, Alumni! Two Timely Matters:

1. Come to the Spring Musical, AIDA! Alumni Night is May 12th - Barbara Gensler has said this will be her last big musical at Shorewood High School - her 45th.

Tickets here: www.shorewooddrama.org

2. Save the Date! This summer's All Class Reunion and Community Picnic (that's a lot of people) will kick off at 11am on Saturday, July 14th. Lunch registration here on the Reunion Page. Special this year: Alumni Cookout, plus Barbara Gensler Tribute Show!

See more or get involved with the Tribute here: To get involved email Class of '82 Alum, Susan Knudten, at susan@susanknudten.com, by May 19th.

Hope to see you at these two events!

Best,
Jenny Steinman Heyden
SHS Alumni President
shorewoodalumni@gmail.com
Join the conversations that are happening on the SHS Alumni Facebook Page right now!