Who We Are
Prairie Wind's Drama Club was founded in February of 2009 by Mr. Levitt, Mr. Houfek (now a 6th grade math teacher at Davis Middle School), and Ms. Koneck (a former art teacher at Prairie Wind). The idea to form the club came from a guided reading group in Mr. Houfek's class. They turned their book report assignment, Jeanne DuPrau's The City of Ember, into a stage production and then performed their creation to their classmates and grade level. They then pushed for the creation of a Drama Club that they could expand their experiences and Drama Club was born! We've performed several plays, both adapted from books and "store-bought" since then.
Drama Club's mission is to introduce fourth and fifth grade students to theater and performing arts through the production and performing of plays. The club is made as student-run as feasible with students designing and creating the sets, generating ideas for costuming, acting, and stage-managing.
They are given basic instruction in the fundamentals of acting, set design, and public speaking run as close to "real world" as appropriate.
Current Leadership of the Drama Club are: Mr. Levitt and Mrs. Ehrsum
Prairie Wind Drama Club's Facebook Page is the most frequently updated. You can find it HERE or simply put "PrairieWind Drama Club" into a Google search and it should be the first link listed! LIKE it to receive all future updates!
Prairie Wind Drama Club
c/o Daniel Levitt
10908 Ellison Ave.
Omaha, NE 68164
(531) 299-1980
daniel.levitt@ops.org
We expect to put on two plays per school year with one performed in November and the other in April or May. Every production features one evening performance of the play. This performance is for ALL who are interested and admission is FREE. All Drama Club members are expected to arrive to prepare for each production one hour prior to show time. Depending upon costuming and last minute preparations, actors may be asked to arrive earlier than set crew. Dates and Performance Times will be sent home with the students and posted on our Facebook Page as soon as they are known!
We always appreciate volunteers to help with concessions and post production clean up!
We hold meetings on Thursdays and Fridays starting at 4:15 to 5:15pm. Meetings will start right after school in the library or music room (depending upon tutoring schedule) but will most often end in the gym. Students are required to be picked up by 5:20pm! The school nor the Advisors to the Drama Club will be providing rides home!
Please see the Code of Conduct information below to know whether or not you or your 4th or 5th grade student is qualified to participate!
If you have any questions and/or you wish to help us with Drama Club events, please contact Mr. Levitt or Mrs. Higgs.
We hope to see you all soon!
What your student needs to be a member of The Prairie Wind Players:
1. Be in the 4th or 5th Grade at Prairie Wind Elementary School
2. Have a signed permission slip with Parent and Emergency Contact Information turned in to Mr. Levitt or Mrs. Ehrsum by the posted deadline. No slip, no Drama Club. NO exceptions!
3. Meet the academic and behavioral requirements as defined by Mrs. Ehrsum and Mr. Levitt. These requirements are: All homework turned in/no missing work, getting no more than 2 C's and the rest B's or Better on Report Cards, NO PAC or Office Referrals (NO EXCEPTIONS!), No more than 3 warnings a week! All requirements will be teamed up with a teacher recommendation* prior to admission.
4. Willing and able to meet regularly after school on Thursdays and Fridays for 1 hour or, if needed, later (notice will be given ahead of time).
5. Arrangements for transportation home immediately after Drama Club is over must be made ahead of time! No transportation, no Drama Club!! Acceptable transportation include: A ride home, walking home, or Kids Club. There is NO BUS service. Mrs. Ehrsum, Mr. Levitt, nor any Prairie Wind Staffmember are willing to act as babysitters past the agreed upon time.
6. The decisions of Mr. Levitt and/or Mrs. Ehrsum with regards to Drama Club are FINAL.
7. If admitted into Drama Club, participation isn't encouraged, it's REQUIRED. Though students are not required to audition for a play if they do not wish to act, students are required to participate in ALL other Drama Club activities, even acting instruction activities! They must also be able and willing to work with ANYONE assigned to work with them fairly and constructively.
Audition Policy
ALL Drama Club students are highly encouraged to audition for at least the FALL Production. If for no other reason, they are encouraged just to say that they accomplished a public speaking feat. That being said, no Drama Club student is required to audition.
Auditions will consist of the following items:
1. At least 2 weeks prior to auditions, an audition slip will be sent home with every interested student. These slips are due the first day of auditions, but can be turned in at any time prior. *NOTE* Students absent from school the first day of auditions can turn in their slips on Day 2 of the auditions without penalty.
2. Cold Reading - Students will be placed in small groups and given a script and a role to read off of the assigned page. They will have no less than 5 minutes rehearsal time to read over their assigned part with their group before performing it for the panel of Directors (Mr. Levitt, Mrs. Ehrsum, and a cadre of visiting assistants)
3. ONLY ONE AUDITION IS REQUIRED TO OBTAIN A PART! Number of times in front of the Panel does not necessarily dictate whether or not one gets a part. The only people who are guaranteed not to get a part are those who do not desire a part and those who do not audition at all!
4. Hot Read - Students will be asked to prepare a short monologue ahead of auditions. This will usually be something like a poem but can be anything the auditioning student desires to memorize ahead of time that displays his or her acting prowess. Each monologue should last no longer than 5 minutes. 2-3 minutes is preferred.
Audition Expectations
1. Audition results will be posted no later than 11:30pm the final day of Auditions unless there is some situation that does not allow the posting*. The results will be posted first on our Facebook page. Results will also be posted at 3:30pm on the following Monday.
* - Students who will not be present due to vacation or other voluntary absence who desire a part must make alternate arrangements with Mr. Levitt and/or Mrs. Ehrsum at least 1 week prior to auditions. Any absences due to illness must be made up no later than the Thursday following Auditions. Due to time-frame considerations, no other accommodations can be made.
2. Except for the conditions listed above, students MUST be present at auditions on BOTH DAYS in order to be considered for a part. If a student does not wish a part, they are not required to attend audition days.
3. When not auditioning or rehearsing, all Drama Club students are expected to remain quiet, on task, and away from the Panel tables AT ALL TIMES. Failure to do so will result in consequences ranging from loss of part to removal from Drama Club.
4. Results are FINAL. Students do not have to accept the roles offered them, but they cannot trade roles. Likewise, if the student refuses a part, they will not be given a different role. Instead, they will be placed on the set crew.
5. IF THE STUDENT DOES NOT GET A PART, THE STUDENT WILL NOT BE REMOVED FROM DRAMA CLUB!!!! Those students who do not get parts will be placed on the set crew, offered stage manager or understudy positions, or offered positions as tech crew (lights and curtains).
Omaha Public Schools does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, marital status, sexual orientation, disability, age, genetic information, citizenship status, or economic status in its programs, activities and employment and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups. The following individual has been designated to address inquiries regarding the non-discrimination policies: Superintendent of Schools, 3215 Cuming Street, Omaha, NE 68131 (531-299-9822).
Las Escuelas Públicas de Omaha no discriminan basados en la raza, color, origen nacional, religión, sexo, estado civil, orientación sexual, discapacidad , edad, información genética, estado de ciudadanía, o estado económico, en sus programas, actividades y empleo, y provee acceso equitativo a los “Boy Scouts” y a otros grupos juveniles designados. La siguiente persona ha sido designada para atender estas inquietudes referentes a las pólizas de no discriminación: El Superintendente de las Escuelas, 3215 Cuming Street, Omaha, NE 68131 (531-299-9822).