PlayhouseSquare Partners volunteer at Jump Back Ball Shop Nights to build the decor for the Feb. 26th event.
It’s official: As of Friday morning, PlayhouseSquare’s 20th Annual Jump Back Ball has sold out. Congratulations to the theatre and Partners for selling the tickets necessary to hit this landmark for the sixth year in a row!
Of course, preparations for the February 26th event are far from over. This past Monday and Thursday nights marked the first two Shop Nights leading up to Jump Back Ball. Throughout the month of February, members of the Partners young professional group will gather a couple of evenings each week in the Hanna Building to put together the decorations. From painting to cutting and everything in between, this is when all of the planning from the course of the last year comes together.
Although I couldn’t make it on Thursday, I did stop in after work for the kickoff Shop Night on Monday. After grabbing a bite of pizza (dinner’s provided at each one), Scott and I dove right in to the arts and crafts. We spent the next hour or so cutting, painting and adding sparkle to the stars that will be hanging from the ceiling at the Thailand Full Moon Festival section of Jump Back Ball. Other groups were busy making table centerpieces, snowflakes, and lanterns, while a couple of the power-tool-capable volunteers worked on some of the larger pieces such as carving a three-dimensional snowman face for the Quebec Winter Carnival.
Centerpieces that another group at last Monday's Shop Night put together.
It wasn’t all work, of course! Although Scott and I are fairly new to Partners, many people have been with the group for years. So it was fun to listen to stories from Jump Back Balls of years past, trade tips on costume ideas, and laugh at the Dimitri Martin adage “Glitter – it’s the herpes of crafts” (which I discovered is so very very true when I found a piece of glitter days later stuck to the outside of my eyelid). Even fellow Cleveland blogger Poise in Parma stopped by – she’s put together a vlog entry documenting her conversations with some of the Partners volunteers at Monday’s Shop Night.
Being involved with Jump Back Ball has been one of my favorite things from joining Partners. Having spent four years as a member of my college’s student-run theatre group with most of that on the tech side of things, the experience of being able to attend Jump Back Ball and say “I made that!” is something I’m definitely looking forward to.
Even if you’re not yet a member of Partners, you can still help out. Shop Nights are open to any member of the public who’s interested in learning more about the group. They’ll run throughout the rest of February leading up to Set-Up/Load-In Day on February 25th. A full list is below with times and location.
You can also feel free to join Partners at the AMP 150 Jump Back Ball Happy Hour tomorrow (February 8th). Originally scheduled as the February ticket sales happy hour, it’s now a celebration of the early sell out. And with AMP 150 providing the food for the VIP party, it’s the perfect way to preview the fare before the big night.
Scott painting the stars for the Thailand Full Moon Festival
Jump Back Ball Shop Nights Schedule
Shop Nights start at 6pm and go until 9pm (except for Set Up Day which starts at 10 am and goes until everything’s done). The Workshop is located in the Hanna Building at the corner of E. 14th Street and Prospect Avenue with $5 evening parking at the Hanna Building garage (or on the street if available). And while food is provided, please bring you own beverage.
Monday, February 7th
Wednesday, February 9th
Tuesday, February 15th
Thursday, February 17th
Monday, February 21st
Wednesday, February 23rd
Thursday, February 24th
Friday, February 25th – Set-up Day!
Hope to see you there!
Jump Back Ball 411:
Thanks so much for the blog shout out! It was great to meet you that evening. Here’s to more shop nights!
Definitely! See you at the next blogger meetup and good luck at the bowl-a-thon on Friday. We’re driving to NY for a wedding or else I would totally dust off my old Snoopy bowling ball and be there!
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