Policies and Procedures

We offer two productions of the same musical with two different casts, the red cast and the blue cast. You choose which cast your actor is in when you sign them up. The only difference between the casts is the rehearsal and performance schedule. (Some actors even choose to be in both casts so that they can play two different roles!)

The red cast and the blue cast each are made up of two groups that rehearse their parts separately until tech week.  Junior Varsity (JV) is for actors in grades k-2. They meet once a week from 4:00 to 5:00 to learn one or two song-and-dance numbers from the show. They perform as a group. 

Varsity is for actors in grades 2-5. They meet once a week from 4:00 to 6:00. Each Varsity actor will play a named character in the play and perform in the chorus. This usually means learning the music and choreography for 5 or 6 songs and the blocking for the scenes in between. They may also have solos and/or lines. 

Every performer has lots to do! We all work together to tell the story.

Actors in grade 2 can choose which group they feel more comfortable in. We recommend  that second graders who have never been in a play before start in JV. Those who have already been in JV for a year or two are usually ready for Varsity. 

Varsity actors get two printed scripts, one to take home and one to keep at rehearsal.  We also send each family a pdf of the script that they can read or print from any device. This way, actors can easily practice lines at home and don't have to worry about bringing the script to rehearsal. 

Along with the script, we email families audio files of all the songs used in the show  that can be downloaded and played on any device.(CDs available on request). This makes it easy for actors to practice songs and choreography at home too!

Opening Act provides your actor's costume. We may ask you to contribute something you already have - like a pair of shoes or leggings.  Anything we provide, we keep. Anything you provide, you keep. 

For dress rehearsals and performances, actors wear a tank top and shorts underneath their street clothes so they can change into their costumes without needing privacy. 

In the fall and spring musicals, actors meet once a week to learn music, choreography, and blocking. Some actors may be asked to attend one or two scene work rehearsals on a Saturday. We learn the show in pieces, like a puzzle. It takes lots of work to learn the pieces, and it takes practice to remember how it all goes together. Consistent attendance and practice at home is essential to a successful show and a rewarding experience. 

Please let us know when you enroll your actor if you have any unavoidable schedule conflicts, and we will do our best to adjust the rehearsal schedule ahead of time so that your actor will not miss important scenes or songs. We may also adjust by simply having them sing offstage if they have to miss the day we stage a chorus number. 

The truth is, anytime one actor is absent, everyone who is present has to work harder to adjust when they are gone (fill in for them, remember the missing actors blocking as well as their own, pretend their partner is there for a dance, etc...) and help them catch up when they get back. It is also harder for the missing actor to catch up than to just learn it with everyone the first time. We work together and take care of each other, so we are happy to do the extra work when it is necessary. It is unkind to ask the children to do the extra work when it is not necessary.

If an actor has two unexcused absences, they may not be able to participate in the performances. 

Excused absences:  unavoidable conflicts communicated to us in writing before the start of rehearsals, sickness (Please stay home if you are sick!), a death in the family, unforseen emergencies.

THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT!!

Our Fall and Spring musicals have a traditional tech week on the Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday before the Saturday performances. These technical rehearsals are when all of the pieces of the puzzle come together. Attendance at these rehearsals is mandatory. If an actor is unable to be at a tech rehearsal, they may not be able to participate in the performances.  

Our typical Saturday show schedule is:  1:30 call time, 2:00 full cast photo, 2:30 house opens, 3:00 curtain, 4:00ish break/snack, 4:30 house opens, 5:00 curtain, 6:00ish done

A Sunday show schedule is: 2:00 call time, 2:30 house opens, 3:00 curtain, 4:00ish Strike

Please send your child empty-handed. We provide snack and backstage activities. There is limited space backstage and extra stuff can cause lots of problems.  

We ask all families who are able to help us with "Strike". That means we take apart the set and put everything away, leaving the theatre ready for the next group. 

Everyone who would like to be in the audience for a performance must purchase a ticket. Ticket information can be found on the "See A Show" page of our website.  We recommend that families buy tickets early, because the shows often sell out. 

For "The Midnight Ride of Sybil Ludington" families will be given a private ticket link in January. Tickets will be available to the general public on March 1, 2024.

We are always in need of parents to help out backstage during tech week and performances. It's fun to be a part of the backstage magic! Shoot us an email or hit the "Contact Us" chat box to let us now you'd like to volunteer. Thanks!