Attendance is extremely important. Each member of the cast and crew plays an integral role in the show. Everyone must do their best to make sure social plans, dental/doctor/optometry appointments, jobs, group project meetings, and other appointments or commitments of this nature do not interfere with rehearsals or performances.
Attendance at every rehearsal and performance should be considered mandatory. When a student misses a rehearsal, it causes us to have to cancel, reschedule, and/or schedule additional rehearsals, which creates delays in putting the overall production together.
Directors must be notified of absences as far in advance as possible in writing by a parent/guardian (preferably on Band App as a comment on that specific event or via email - both is even better).
If a student is absent from school for any reason, they are still expected to notify the director if they will miss a rehearsal or performance that day.
Parents and students should make every effort to schedule medical appointments outside of rehearsal times.
If/when students miss a rehearsal, they are expected to learn the material they miss on their own time outside of rehearsal. This could mean:
Asking a friend who will be at that rehearsal to write down their blocking for them so they can copy it into their own script outside of rehearsal
E-mailing Mrs. Carroll for notes on what was missed.
Asking Mrs. Carroll or Mr. Maichle if there are any papers that were passed out at the rehearsal they missed.
6. Multiple absences and/or failure to learn the material(s) they missed may result in one or both of the following actions at the discretion of the directors:
the student being taken out of the scene(s) they missed (if they do not put in adequate effort to learn the material outside of rehearsals)
the student not being allowed to participate in the performances (extreme circumstances only)
Missing 3 consecutive rehearsals with no communication from student or parent will be an automatic assumption that you have quit the show and your role will be re-cast.
Arrive at least 5 minutes early to every rehearsal.
No food or drinks (other than water) are permitted in the theater. Rehearsals are in the evenings, therefore it is recommended you eat a good meal before coming to rehearsal. If you are involved in other activities before rehearsal and need to eat at the school, all food must be eaten in the commons before rehearsal starts.
Appropriate rehearsal attire is required. You should be in rehearsal attire before practice begins:
Comfortable workout attire - nothing that restricts movement (NO jeans, skirts/dresses, etc.)
Jazz, character, or gym/tennis shoes (NO crocs, slides/sandals, heels, boots, etc.)
Members must have all required rehearsal materials, including:
Script in a 3 ring binder
Pencil
Highlighter
Water bottle
Treat all members with mutual respect. Profanity/disrespect will not be tolerated at any time.
Leave your phone in your backpack during all rehearsals.
If you are struggling, consider asking someone to help you outside of rehearsal.
Use down time productively. Rather than talking/moving around or getting on your phone, get a quick drink, use the bathroom, and/or use that time to practice something quietly.
If the directors are working with another group that does not involve you, pay attention and remain quiet. You can always learn from instructions given to others.
Do your job without being asked.
Breaks often vary in length. Be proactive about returning to the stage rather than getting on your phones.
Be dependable. Be your best. Make an effort.
Students are expected to help clean up after rehearsals. This includes putting away props/set pieces, moving chairs to their appropriate locations, throwing away trash, etc.. We are not the only group that uses the theatre. Please be respectful of the space we are lucky enough to be granted use of.
Students may not leave rehearsals until formally dismissed by the directors.
Act appropriately and responsibly on and offstage. Make safe choices, offer help, do not talk unless absolutely necessary, no running/goofing around, listen to your stage manager, crew members, and directors when they give you instructions, keep your hands/feet to yourselves.
You are responsible for your own props and costumes. Make sure all costume pieces are hung/folded nicely whenever you are not wearing it. Make sure your props are in their designated places before and after every rehearsal/performance. Do NOT touch another person's prop or costume for any reason unless that person has asked you to help them with a quick change. If a prop or costume is damaged/broken, tell a director immediately so we can get them cleaned/fixed/replaced as quickly as possible.
You are representing the entire Madison student body and the Madison Drama department at all performances. You should be a model student and use professional behavior. As with all school events, school policies and codes of conduct apply at all times.
You must be on your best behavior before, during, and after every performance. Students are not permitted to be outside or in the commons before a performance unless given permission by a director. Foul language is not permitted at any time.
At any performance, students are to stay backstage or in the band room at all times.
Students may not interact with audience members (including friends and family) before or during the performance unless given permission by the directors. This includes intermission.
Students must be on their best behavior at all times before, during, and after a performance. For safety reasons, students are not permitted to run or goof off in the theater. Students must be silent and aware of their surroundings at all times.
At the end of a performance, students are required to change out of their costumes, hang them up where they belong, make sure all props are in their assigned places, pick up any trash, and clean up backstage including the bathrooms, prop room, and band room. Parents need to allow time for students to take care of their costumes and props after performances.
Students may not leave after a performance until they are dismissed by the directors. Brief notes will likely be given.
If a student is wearing a microphone, that student is responsible for paying for the microphone if it is damaged/broken. All microphones are rented so it is extremely important that they are treated with care.
Do not touch the microphone for any reason. If it needs to be pinned/taped more securely, a trained crew member or director must be the one to fix it for you.
No horseplay while wearing microphones. This includes things like piggyback rides, strenuous activities that cause you to sweat excessively, wrestling, running,
You are responsible for the care and cleanliness of your costume.
Costumes must be worn correctly at all times.
Do not sit on the ground in your costume. Do not run or goof around in your costume.
You are not to eat or drink anything while you are in costume except for water. Even with water - be mindful and careful, especially if you are wearing a mic.
If your costume gets dirty or rips, tell a director that day. The next day is too late!
Students are required to wear appropriate undergarments underneath their costumes. These undergarments should be fitted tightly and should be nude in color so they cannot be seen underneath their costumes. Undergarments must also be modest enough that a student could change their costume in front of other people without exposing their bodies. Undergarments include leotards, dance tights (not pantyhose - they rip too easily), compression/spandex shorts, and tank tops. Nude colored bras and underwear should be worn as well (under the previously mentioned undergarments) so they are not visible underneath costumes.
After dress rehearsals and performances, you will change out of your costume. You must have appropriate street clothing to change into. Costumes do not leave the building for any reason without permission from a director.
After performances, students must do the following in a timely manner
Report cleaning/repair needs
Neatly hang up costumes in the correct location
Put shoes and props in the correct location
Students who do not properly care for and put away their uniforms may have consequences
You are expected to treat your school-owned costumes (and props!) with respect and pride.
Personal hygiene is of the utmost importance. Performing is very active and costumes do not get washed between dress rehearsals or performances. Students are expected to wear deodorant and make sure they are showering regularly so the costumes (and backstage areas in general) remain odor-free. PERFUME/COLOGNE IS NOT PERMITTED FOR THE SAFETY OF OUR ACTORS WHO HAVE ALLERGIES/ASTHMA/MIGRAINES/ETC.
After the final performance, students are required to take all of their costume pieces home and wash them by following the labels on the tags (hand wash/dry clean/hang dry/etc.). Students must bring their clean costumes back to the theater during strike, which will be scheduled 3-10 days after the final performance. Students are not allowed to keep any parts of their costume unless they were purchased by that student/parent.
Having the right mindset is vital to the growth and success of the theater program.
Every person is important whether you're in a lead, supporting, or ensemble role. Unfortunately, not everyone is going to get the role they really want every time they audition for a show. Receiving rejection is hard, but it's something everyone experiences many times in life (not getting the job, not getting the promotion, etc.). What's important is how you handle that rejection.
In our program, it is extremely rare that a student who auditions doesn't receive a part in the show. The only times that happens is when there are a limited number of roles and there is no ensemble, but that is information directors will know and announce ahead of time. In the musicals, it is unlikely that you will receive rejection in the form of not being cast, but you may feel rejection in the form of not being cast in the role you wanted.
When we cast a show, we are looking to highlight everyone's strengths in a way that will make our show the best it can possibly be. For example, maybe there are two students who we are considering for the lead female role. Both girls can sing extremely well, but one is a stronger actor and one is a stronger dancer. If we are casting a dance heavy musical (such as Footloose) where the lead actress dances constantly throughout the show, we will likely cast the student who is the stronger dancer. If we are casting a less dance heavy show (such as Mamma Mia) where the lead actress (Donna) does not do much dancing at all, we will likely cast the student who is the stronger actress so that the student who is a stronger dancer can be in a role where that strength can be utilized more. As another example, maybe we have two students who we are considering for two roles in Les Mis. One of those roles is the Jean Valjean (a very serious, leading role) and the other is Mr. Thénardier (a very comedic and evil, supporting role) who has to have great comedic chemistry with the student who plays his wife, Mrs. Thénardier. Both of the boys we're considering can sing and act extremely well so they could both handle either role, but one of them is good friends with the female student we cast in the role of Mrs. Théndardier and the other has never spoken to her before. In this situation, we will likely cast the students who are already friends as Mr. and Mrs. Thénardier because they will get along and bring a lot of humor and positive energy to those roles together.
If you don't get the role you wanted, there could be any number of reasons why and those reasons are not always because you weren't "good enough" or because someone else was "better than you." And they are never because the directors "like them more" than you. Casting a show is like putting together a puzzle and, a lot of the time, there are multiple ways we could put the puzzle together. Our job as directors is to determine where each person fits into the puzzle based on chemistry, singing/dancing/acting abilities, vocal range, age, height, scheduling conflicts, etc. in order to make our show as successful as possible. We do our best to make sure your talent is going to be placed in a way that highlights your strengths and supports everyone else's weaknesses so we end up with a balanced cast.
Professionalism
Whether you get the role you wanted or not, professionalism is the key. If you do not get the role you wanted, the first decision you need to make is whether or not you want to accept the role you did get. If you're truly unhappy with the role you got, you are allowed to say no and choose not to be in the show. If this is your choice, it's important to make this decision as quickly as possible and you must tell your directors right away so the role can be re-cast before rehearsals begin. This should be done in a formal and polite way either via email or an in-person conversation. Asking your friend to tell us you have decided to quit, or just not showing up once rehearsals begin, is extremely unprofessional. If that is how you quit your job, your manager would be very unlikely to hire you again in the future. This is the same in theater. If you're a sophomore and you're unprofessional and difficult to work with this year, what is going to make us think differently about you when you're a senior?
If you choose to accept the role you were given despite the fact that it's not the one you wanted, you have the ability to choose one of two mindsets.
If you're bitter and resentful, then you're just wasting your and everyone else's time. It won't be a positive experience for anyone. You might even earn a bad reputation with the directors and the rest of the cast for making the rehearsal process unpleasant.
But... if you choose to make the best of it, there are so many positives you'll receive. You still get to be in an amazing show. You can learn new skills and strengthen your weaknesses that can make you a better performer. You'll grow your theatrical resumé. You can have fun and make memories with your friends throughout the rehearsal process.
If you truly love theater and performing, stick with the show. Keep auditioning and participating in future productions. No matter what role you're cast in, every show is a new chance to learn and have fun. Remember that the directors cast you into the show because they genuinely wanted to work with you and they thought that you would be a great part of the team. So, take that with you as a positive, and keep trying.