Author: Marilyn Mullan

Dear 25th Year HST Families,
I think it is just like God to give us a wonderful piece of news in the midst of all our current challenges.
Ms. Steffi, our Shakespeare Director, who has been battling cancer for over a year and had to go through a very risky bone marrow transplant in Jan./Feb., just receive her Pet Scan report and she is: CANCER FREE!!! Considering that her cancer was a *very *aggressive leukemia, there is no question that e*veryone’s prayers combined with Ms. Steffi’s amazing courage and positive outlook, have beaten the odds. * Please join me in thanking God for this great blessings.
*While thanking God, **I also want to include Mrs. Alexander* (our SR Troupe Director) who has battled her own cancer & it’s recurrence for 3 years. We are grateful that she, too, *is cancer free.* Additionally, *she has been blessed with a special hearing aid which allows her to pull sound from both sides of her head* (she lost hearing in one ear during her recovery). *This new hearing aid has restored the skills she needs to return next year as HST’s SR Troupe director.* She will continue to utilize support from Mrs. Mays (our Acting A teacher) on an as-needed basis.
While it is wonderful to have big things to thank God for, I’m certain there are also small things that each of us can add to our gratitude list. It truly is the best way to stay positive and hopeful.
So, let me start us off with, “*THANK YOU, GOD for these great blessings* *as well as all the little blessings that get us through each day*.” God’s peace & blessings, Marilyn

Dear 25th Year HST Families,
Since we are not meeting today, I ‘m thinking you will have time on your hands to answer 2 Surveys. Just click on the links below. Your answers will be anonymous.
– The first survey has to do with dance classes for next year. *We need to change locations* and we *are considering changing day/time for some classes*. – The second concerns HST’s tradition of giving pins to our students. This survey has a place for students to answer as well.
We would like to have these surveys done quickly so I can continue to make decisions concerning next year. Deadline for answering is Thursday, April 2nd.
Blessings, Marilyn
Dance Survey: forms.gle/eFRg9b6WwXCicujr9
Pins Survey: forms.gle/xrz6agPepdDkS2iT8

Dear 25th Year HST Families,
Who knew that HST’s milestone year would also be an historic year? Your children will talk about living through Covid-19, the way we talk about living through 9/11. In the same way that people (particularly children) had to process the trauma of 9/11, so too, will today’s youth (and adults) be impacted by how quickly our world can change. Please remember that children take their cues from parents. *If you are able to exhibit calm and demonstrate your trust in God’s provision, you will greatly reduce the negative impact of these events.* *I know of no greater source of peace, than prayer. **It is my personal belief is that when life is hard we should pray, and when life is really hard, we should pray more.* This approach has gotten me through many challenging times in my life, and I’m certain it will get us through this challenge as well.
First – there are NO volunteer sessions this week. If you are getting a reminder from Sign-Up Genius – please ignore them. When we have a plan – we’ll adjust dates and people will be allowed to tell us if they can work the new dates. For now just know that no volunteer sessions are happening at my house until notified. *I will be reaching out to key individuals and working with them to keep production tasks moving forward. *
Second – the theater has officially closed for April.
– *I am going to wait until April 3rd to see if the other groups scheduled for May will release their theater dates* (some programs are deciding to just cancel spring events or move them to summer/fall). – If May dates open up – we’ll move our 4 troupe shows to May. – If May dates do not open up by April 3rd – we’ll move forward with plans to film the 4 troupe shows. – Filming sessions could start as early as April 13 but they may have to extend into early May. It will depend on what happens with the governor’s mandates. – JR & GB will film one scene at a time using a large space to create each scene (probably a 2 car garage). – The Hebeisen family in Boyd’s, MD have already offered their garage. Feel free to let me know of other suggestions for a large space for filming. – SR & SH will be filmed one scene at a time using different locations (many outside) to give a more realistic feel to these shows (if we end up filming them). – *HST has May 31st on hold * to show the videos of these productions. *It is possibly that we’ll have to find a later date for the viewing of films.* It just depends on when we can complete filming and start editing.
Third – *the adjusted dates for Showcase and Coffeehouse remain mostly the same at this poin*t. A*ny adjustments are highlighte*d.
– Showcase: – Dance classes: April 28 & 29, May 5 & 6, May 12 & 13. (These classes will also be used for assessments for 2020/2021 dance class eligibility.) – Choir classes: May 1, 8, 15. NOTE: A Cappella may have a Zoom class on a Friday in April (10:45am to Noon). We’ll send details as we figure them out. – Acting classes: May 1, 8, 15 (10am to Noon) – Bring parent provided costume items on May 1.Theater rehearsals: May 18, 19, Move Wed. 5/20 to Thursday May 21 – Performances: May 22 & 23. – Coffeehouse – Theatricals: May 1, 8, 15 – Noon to 2pm (Choir students will be allowed to quickly eat lunch in Theatricals room & then join class when done). – Load in & rehearsal: May 29: 6pm to 10pm for Tech, 6pm to 8pm for Honor Society, 7 to 10pm Performers
Finally, I want to remind everyone that God can bring good out of all things for those who love Him. This doesn’t mean that suffering and loss are removed. It means that we open ourselves up to learn and grow from painful experiences. We will all be changed because of living through Covid 19. The question is whether or not the change will make us more fearful and paranoid or whether it will make us more trusting and compassionate. With God’s help it will be the latter. On that note, I will be sending out an email for a service project that HST can participate in to support others. Putting the focus on caring for others is always is a great way to get past negative emotions. However, it is important to first allow people to process those emotions. It doesn’t do any good to bury our hurt, anger, disappointment, fear, frustration, sadness, etc. We want to allow people to feel their feelings, talk about them, and process them, so they can eventually move past them. We hope that in the end, we can focus on the blessings we still have, recognize that things could be worse, and channel our energies into helping others. That is the goal, but it takes longer for some people to get there than others. That’s ok. We are all wired differently. Let’s just support and encourage each other as we each process through the impact of Covid 19.
Blessings, Marilyn

Dear 25th Year HST Families,
So, the adventure of this year continues🙂. *My favorite quote, that a dear friend would say* whenever life presented challenges,* is “I can’t wait to see how God works this one out!” * I think we can all heartily agree with that statement. *For now, we can only pray and hold on to God as the roller coaster ride continues*. However, just like a roller coast, we can choose to trust that this ride has a safe ending because God is the one driving the train.
Next, I need to make a couple adjustments to the first schedule change. *There was some miscommunication about other groups booked in May, so we need to shift a few things.*
– *Showcase* – Monday May 18th. (adjusted times) Broadway Choir Noon to 1pm, A Cappella Choir, 12:45pm to 3pm, Acting Classes 1pm to 3pm. – Tuesday May 19th (no changes) – Wednesday May 20 – CANCELLED – THURSDAY, May 21 – NEW DATE – *9am to Noon – Load in (Tech students only*). Noon to 1pm – Choirs. 12:45pm to 5pm – all performers & tech – Friday May 22 & Saturday May 23 – (no changes) – *Coffeehouse* – Saturday, May 30th new performance times will be 11am, 1pm, and 3pm.
*TROUPE SHOWS*
– The City of Rockville has not made a decision about the theater’s status for April. I have emailed the Mayor and Council asking them to make a decision sooner than later so we can plan accordingly. – If the City opens the building, we are assuming we will be able to put up our shows with an audience as normal. – If the FSF Theater Building remains closed for health reasons, HST will not be able to use the building because City Staff would be banned from the building. However, we would receive a complete refund of our rental money. – HST’s current plan, if that happens, is to take the refunded money and use it to produce a polished video of each show. We would like to ask families to keep the weeks of April 13 to 18 (for GB & SH) and April 20 to 25 (for JR & SR) as open as possible. This will give us greater flexibility in scheduling filming times. – If HST ends up making videos of shows instead of live performances, Sunday, May 31st will be an all-day Premier Viewing of these videos at FSF Theater. – Tentative schedule for video viewings is: May 31st: 1pm – GB, 2:30pm – JR, 4pm – SH, 6pm SR (with a 2nd showing at 8pm if needed). – Tickets purchased for the these shows will be used to gain entrance to the viewings. Actors will not need tickets for the show they are performing in.
*What can you do?*
– *1st, last, and always – continue praying. *While God has always provided for HST, we never want to take His provision for granted. Please give mighty thanks that there was theater availability that opened up in May. We also want to let God know that we are grateful for all of His previous blessings bestowed on HST in 24 years. – *Showcase & Coffeehouse performers* can* start contacting people you have sold tickets to*. Please give them the new performance date and ask if they are able to attend on that date. If not, please ask if they would be willing to just donate the money they spent for tickets. (You are welcome to let them know that HST is likely to be $12,000 short in ticket income this year due to the virus. Also, their donation is tax deductable.). If their financial situation does not allow them to make a donation, please write down their address (with zip-code) and the number of tickets they purchased. We will collect these lists later. – *All HST families can work on selling tickets to the new dates for Showcase & Coffeehouse*. (It will be more important than ever to sell out these performances.) NOTE: The 3pm Coffeehouse will probably remain sold-out as most of those tickets were sold to HST families. – *Troupe performers* are welcome to give out the May 31st date & times to family/friends who have already purchased tickets, although I would suggest waiting until we know for sure that we are going with that plan. (Of course if grandparents or relatives were planning on traveling, you may want to give them this date now.) – *All Performers* should continue to run lines and practice dances and songs. We are working on getting all the dance videos posted. – *Parent Volunteers* – We will be adjusting Sign-Up Genius’s as needed. You will receive an email from Sign-UP Genius concerning the changes. Please read & mark your calendar. If you absolutely can’t make the new day/time, please let us know ASAP.
Finally, I want to thank everyone for their words of support and patient understanding of this unique situation. Please know that all of you are in my prayers. Blessings, Marilyn

Dear 25th Year Families,
I will be talking with theater managers and their boss at 10am today. I would like to ask for prayers so that the Holy Spirit will guide that conversation. Only God knows what is the best and safest way to navigate through this challenge. May He use this conversation to help me continue to figure out His plan.
I will be back in touch when I have something concrete. Blessings, Marilyn

Dear 25th Year Showcase Students,
The FINALE choreography is now available. Ms. Pep is the choreographer. Follow the instructions below to find the video that teaches the choreography that EVERY performer in Showcase needs to know. (We will go over this with students during class time when we resume meeting.)
*We also want you to continue practicing your dances.* Many of the dances also have videos on the website. Other dance videos have been emailed directly to you. We want to make sure that every class has something to practice with. I*f you do not have a cance video to practice, please email me so that I can contact the teacher and make that happen. *
Finally, keep praying for God’s protection and His provision. Blessings, Mrs. Mullan
Go to www.hstonline.org Click “HST Families” on the blue menu bar at the top. Under “Program Links”, click “Dance Classes”, “Acting Classes”, or “Choirs” (Choreography is on all 3 pages.) The password to get in is HST25.

Dear 25th Year Highschoolers,
With our last show being on May 30th – it was not realistic for me to pull off Prom 4 days later. Since the THS overnight trip is currently scheduled for June 10 to 11 (and those reservations weren’t able to be moved), I am moving the Prom to Wednesday, June 17th.
*I apologize to anyone that will now be unable to attend.* I know how much students look forward to this fun evening. *I am sure that no matter what date I moved it to, there would be someone who couldn’t make it.* This is just one of the many frustrations that we are all being forced to deal with right now.
All I can do is to remind everyone that God does not owe us HST, or a Prom, or anything else. He even warned us that this life would be hard because this is not our real home. It is our eternal home, heaven, that will be blissful. This is actually why I believe in a God and life after death. If this unfair, unpredictable, and sometimes miserable life is all there is…..it’s a pretty bum deal. I guess I could choose to believe this life is it (but I’d definitely stop doing tough things like HST and start doing whatever I want), or I can choose to hope for something better. Even though my little human mind can’t figure it all out and make sense of suffering, I’d rather be hopeful and happy, then cynical and self-centered. So *I encourage all of us to use this time of isolation to think beyond ourselves and pray for those who are on the front-lines fighting life and death issues.*
Thank you for being the amazing students that you are. I do hope and pray that we’ll be blessed, once again, with shows and a prom. I promise to keep you posted. Blessings, Mrs. Mullan
PS – You must have been age 15 or older on Dec. 31, 2019 to go to Prom.

Dear 25th Year HST Families,
To comply with the President’s request that there be no gatherings larger than 10 people for two weeks, HST will not hold any classes or workshops for the next two weeks. *Adults are still welcome to come to sewing/building sessions at my home on Friday/Saturdays but it is optional *(even if you signed up on SignUp Genius). There will be NO costume prep on Friday – just sewing.
I’ll asses on March 30th if we will hold outdoor rehearsals for GB/SH and JR/SR on April 3rd.
There were no viable options in the theater’s schedule to move GB/SH and JR/SR. *I will be talking to theater management on Thursday to request that we be allowed to put up our shows in the theater and then videotape and/or livestream them.* We are looking into options for having a viewing of the videos (when we can have an audience). Please be praying that the theater will support this plan.
We were able to move HST’s Showcase to the week of May 18:
– Monday May 18 – Noon to 5pm (Choirs, Acting, Tech) – Tuesday May 19 – Noon to 5pm (all performers & Tech) – Dance Teachers set lights – Wednesday May 20 – Noon to 5pm (all performers & Tech) – Friday May 22 – 7pm performance – Saturday May 23 – 2:30pm & 7pm performances
To support this delayed performance of Showcase we will suspend Choir, Dance, and Acting classes until May. *We will hold classes (regular times) on these dates:*
– DANCE: April 28 & 29, May 5 & 6, May 12 & 13 (Teachers will work on assessments as well as polishing dance numbers for Showcase) – ACTING & CHOIRS: Fridays: May 1, May 8, May 15
We are moving Theatricals to May 30th:
– Friday May 29th – 6pm to 10pm – Load in and Rehearsal – Saturday May 30th – Performances at Noon, 2pm, 4pm
To support this delayed performance of Coffeehouse we are suspending Theatrical rehearsals until May. *We will hold rehearsals on these dates*:
– Fridays: May 1, May 8, May 15 – 10am to Noon
I am aware that these changes will not fit into everyone’s schedules. Please reply to this email if you will not be available to make rehearsals or performances for Showcase or Coffeehouse on these rescheduled dates. We will adjust dances/scenes as needed. This is the best we can do in these unusual circumstances.
Finally, please remember that God is going to help us get through these challenging times. He never promised that this life would be easy, but He did promise that He would always be with us. This experience will help all of us to rely on Him. If you are anxious – ask for peace. If you are scared – ask for faith. If you are overwhelmed – ask for strength. If you are worried – ask for trust. We don’t have to handle everything on our own. God is just waiting for us to ask.
God’s peace and blessings, Marilyn

Just a reminder that the Wig Workshop is on for tomorrow 1pm to 5pm.
We could take a couple more people. Please email if you are interested (either new or returning). Returning students pay 1/2 price. Blessings, Mrs. Mullan

Dear 25th Year HST Families,
Who knew that part of the excitement of HST’s 25th year was going to be hanging by ours prayers to find out where our shows will be!
Right now, the FSF Theater is closed until March 27th. *They have HST on their books to perform* Coffeehouse on March 28th and then load in for Showcase on March 30th. They won’t guarantee that plan will hold, but for today we’ll be grateful that is the plan, and we’ll pray hard that it does hold.
We do NOT have dance classes this week as City Dance is also closed. They are going to do a deep cleaning this week and then *they will consider allowing us to hold classes on March 24 & 25. *
We are planning to schedule Friday classes/rehearsals in homes or parks. * I will work on setting up those plans on Monday. *
*As for ticket sales, I suggest taking this week off.* I am scheduled to talk with the theater manager at the end of the week to assess the likelihood of the theater opening for our 1st show on the 28th. If things look favorable, we’ll ask everyone to start selling again.
*Many, MANY thanks for your prayers and patience with this situation. * I am certain that God has a plan for how HST will navigate through these next few weeks. As usual, He’ll reveal that plan one step at a time. Blessings, Marilyn