We are in need of volunteers to help us this Saturday!

We will be moving all our costume stock from two locations--Ithaca College and Ithaca Youth Bureau AND sort out what we will need for our first show of the season: Once Upon A Mattress. Some items will go to storage on Hanshaw Road in Ithaca, others home with our volunteer sewers, and others to Gail's vehicle to take to rehearsal on Sunday.

If you are available to help with this project you can a) show up at the Ithaca Youth Bureau at 10am to help or b) contact

to make arrangements to move items from Ithaca College to the Youth Bureau any time this week that works for you. (Or pick them up at your convenience and take them to the IYB on Saturday.)

We anticipate being done by 1pm. Thanks!

Do you use the interwebs? If you're reading this, I'm guessing you do.

Are you interested in Running to Places? If you're reading this, I'm guessing you are.

Would you believe there's a way to make donations to Running to Places EVERY DAY without costing you a penny or even requiring you to do a thing out of your routine? It's true!

Introducing

. If you haven't heard of it, GoodSearch is a search engine which donates 50-percent of its revenue to the charities and schools designated by its users. In other words, all you have to do to donate much-needed cash to R2P is to search the web.

Here's how it works:
1) Go to

2) In the box that asks "WHO DO YOU GOODSEARCH FOR?" -- enter "Running to Places"
3) Search for stuff online as you would normally, knowing that every time you do, we get $.01! (It adds up!)

You only need to enter your preference once -- it will remember to donate to us thereafter. If you want to get slick about it, you can even take a minute follow their

to make GoodSearch your default search engine in your web browser.

ATTENTION HOLIDAY (OR ANY OTHER KIND OF ONLINE) SHOPPERS!
From the good folks who brought you GoodSearch -- it's

! Again, couldn't be easier to donate. This time, just:
1) Go to

2) In the box that asks "WHO DO YOU GOODSEARCH FOR?" -- enter "Running to Places"
3) Select a retailer that you are going to shop at and go shopping! We will automatically get a percentage of the purchase! (Anywhere from 1-40%!!!)

Examples include Amazon, Best Buy, GAP, iTunes, PetSmart, Target, Toys R Us, and dozens more! If you're going to buy something,

. It takes two extra seconds and can mean the difference between us being able to buy lumber for the set or not!

Of course, regular old

are always welcome to help us keep participation in R2P free of mandatory fees. (Sorry, had to get that in there.)

Thanks so much!

We're excited to announce a fun way to raise some money to support R2P! A move-a-thon! Get ready to shake what your mama and/or papa gave you! Here are the details:

Date: Sat., Nov. 22, 2008
Time: 2-5 pm
Place: Caroline Elementary School [Route 79/Slaterville Road, Slaterville Springs, NY -

]
For: R2P Members, Families & Friends
Advance Sale ONLY Tickets - $5/each
For tickets & info: kimake@yahoo.com
R2P members = sponsor form = free Move It! Ticket
How it works:
- R2P Company members volunteer to be “sponsored” by family and friends to raise money for R2P’s 2008-2009 Season.
- Fill out sponsor form information and collect money in advance – ask neighbors, friends and family to help R2P by pledging you! (

)
- Sell tickets to family and friends to come to the Move It! Fundraiser to support you and “move” with you!
- Bring sponsor form w/money to dance [that is your “ticket” into the Move It! Fundraiser – there will be a “sponsor check-in” area]
- For time pledged, you dance – move – jump – walk to fulfill your commitment
- Win prizes for wearing a unique hat or green clothing for “Go Green!”
- In Partnership with Caroline Rural Youth “Go Green” Project
- Free Food & Drinks for participants! DJ! Prizes! Bake Sale!

Sooo, in publishing callback info, my webmaking software did the ol' crashy-go-splat-thing over and over and over and over and over again. It made me sad. It left you confused. Sorry for the confusion and thanks for bearing with this crazy process.

Everyone who auditioned should have gotten the following email message from the amazing Gail Belokur:

You can view the callback lists and materials by navigating these ugly but functional

. (Note: when you see "Parent Directory" -- it just means "go up one level in the folder structure" -- not anything to do with moms and dads.)

I want to reiterate that you all did amazing work at the auditions and we can't wait to work with ALL of you -- everyone who auditioned is in the company and will be in at least one show!

Questions?

Notice anything different?

1. New website design. Hope you like it. (Hope it doesn't break your browsers.

)
2. New Subscription Giveaway Conest.

to enter. We'll draw a winner who'll receive a pair of subscriptions every week in October. Gotta be in it to win it!
3. We're officially going by "Running to Places" now. Who ever said the "Productions" part anyway?
4. We're no longer under Social Ventures' umbrella. It's time to leave the nest, because...
5. We're now an independent not-for-profit organization! It's a key next step for us. Soon we'll be building a Board and forming committees. Sound dull? Not if you're Gail or me. (Mmm... delegating.)
6. #5 also means that you can now make a donation written out to "Running to Places" directly – or even

with a credit card or PayPal account!
7. You can also shop for an R2P birthday present on our new

. (Thanks for putting it together, Matt Mills!) Right now, it's kinda tech-centric, but we'll be adding to it over time.

We're excited about all these changes and about the upcoming

and the

itself. Hope to

!

If you want to see something to inspire you as an artist and as a person who has dreams (like starting a youth theatre company, for example), you need to go see [Title of Show] -- one of the newest, funniest, and most original shows on Broadway or anywhere. Outwardly, it's a clever meta-mindtrip created by a group of friends who decided to write a show and get it to Broadway – and it's about a group of friends who decided to write a show and get it to Broadway. (You're better off

and learning about it for yourself to make sense of what I mean.)

Beyond that, though, it's about daring to dream, asking the universe to send you what you need, and believing that you can achieve crazy things. It's also about what it means to be an artist and sticking to your vision.

I'm telling you about it now because they just got word that they're closing it in a few weeks! But if enough people pack the theatre before then... who knows? It's a brilliant show that more people in the world need to see. (It has some, shall we say, saucy language and subject matter at times, so consider yourself informed, more tender audience members among you.)

I should also mention that the Musical Director and pianist for the show is my friend Larry Pressgrove, composer for the Kitchen Theatre's musicals the last few years (including the soon-to-be-revived romantic musical comedy

, in which I will soon be appearing with my wife, Erica as the title characters.)

So if you're going to NYC in the near future – GO! And tell your friends! NOW

Here's a taste: (Music from the show, photos from the stage door on opening night of previews. I dare you not to get goosebumps.)

If you have ever thought about stage managing (no experience necessary), what better time to get on board than during auditions? Please

R2P stage manager Nia for more information!

Pop on over

to learn about our upcoming auditions. There's a link at the bottom of that page to sign up for a slot, or you can jump right to it

if you've done it before. We can't wait to see you all there!

We're thrilled to announce that we've been selected to receive a grant from the Helen Thomas Howland Foundation as administered by

. From their press release:

"The Community Foundation of Tompkins County is pleased to announce 10 grants totaling over $54,000 of 2008 Helen Thomas Howland Foundation awards to benefit Tompkins and Broome counties. As administrative agent for the Howland Foundation, the Community Foundation of Tompkins County reviews all applications and makes funding recommendations to the Howland Foundation trustees. The Howland Foundation supports grants in aging services, youth services, animal welfare, and the environment. Grants are limited to qualified nonprofit organizations that provide substantial benefit to these areas."

We're especially proud that the mentoring component of R2P is what was recognized in this award. Middle and high schoolers from all across the area have the opportunity to work with skilled professionals and college students to advance the knowledge of their crafts and/or try out something new in theatre, onstage and off.

Just to give a quick example, a recently graduated high school student joined us as an Assistant Stage Manager for Fame in January. Under the mentorship of a college student Stage Manager, she went on to run her own show mid-season. She consequently decided to pursue stage management as career, and with the help of her mentor, put together a portfolio based on her R2P experiences, applied to and was accepted by the college of her choice to major in stage management.

Since January! Thanks to the Howland Foundation and the Community Foundation (and people

) this was possible for us to offer this to her with no mandatory fees.

We are happy to announce that we have united with the

and that in the month of July you have a chance support two non-profit organizations at once with your consumer dollars! Visit the Dryden Community Center Cafe to enjoy coffee, a fresh salad or panini, or homemade baked goods and 15% of your purchase will directly support Running to Places Productions. Please print

or simply tell the clerk that "Running to Places sent me!"

Make your selections as you pass through or stay to enjoy your surroundings--great seating, a relaxed coffee house atmosphere, artwork, games, books and free Wi-Fi are all on hand to enjoy. And because the Dryden Community Cafe is also a non-profit organization, you can feel good knowing that your purchase goes to help community efforts in the Dryden area as well the work of Running to Places artists!

Don't live in Dryden? Why not make plans to stop in before seeing our next production, Sweet Charity, which runs July 25 - 27 and August 1 - 3 at the Dryden High School Auditorium? Tickets are

and at The Clinton House, 120 N. Cayuga Street, Ithaca or by phone at 1-800-28ITHACA.

The Dryden Community Cafe is

at the corner of Route 13 and Route 38 in downtown Dryden.

for a menu, hours, and events. Please feel free to pass this info on to family, friends, co-workers, neighbors or anyone who might be willing to support two great organizations!

Thanks, and hope to see you over coffee and at the theatre!