Drama Club Play Participation Protocol
for _________________________________ (Enter show name)
YOUR NAME___________________________ (CAST AND CREW)
(Read, print, sign, and give to Ms. Grunko/ or SM if you accept your role and the responsibilities laid out in these expectations.)
These guidelines are being articulated so that we all know what is expected on a daily basis from the beginning of the
rehearsal process right through strike. Please read through these directives and be sure you understand what we expect of you
before you agree to accept the role you’ve been given. Parent signature required as well.
You are required to sign a new Drama Club Protocol for each production.
1. Your attendance is mandatory barring emergency situations. Please discuss any potential conflicts, such as college auditions, as
early as possible with the director. You may not be involved with another regular activity like fencing or ski club that meets
weekly during our time.
2. You are required to attend rehearsals. You must arrive on time and stay through the entire scheduled rehearsal. The purpose of
rehearsals is to learn the play, your role, and mutually develop your character, the relationships with others and much more. If you
are not there, then this process does not work. Cutting you from the show is made at the discretion of the director based upon
your attendance. It is too difficult to be in the judgement seat of deciding which excuses are worthy and which are not. If you
decide to leave the play, please be mature and contact the director as soon as possible so that he/she can find a replacement. It is
not proper to have a friend tell the director that you quit.
3. Safety in the theater is of primary importance. Please come to rehearsal dressed to work. Wear loose comfortable clothing.
Wear necklines that cover you fully on the top, on the bottom, and in the middle. Do not wear extra clothing that hangs beyond
your wrists like long sleeves or scarves. Do not wear skirts unless you are preparing for a specific role. Generally, long pants are
best. Wear full shoes, preferably with laces. Sandals, bare feet and/or socks are not acceptable. Sneakers, in general, are great,
until you are asked to start wearing specific footwear appropriate for your character. Do you go to swim class without a bathing
suit? Tennis, without a racket? Come prepared to work in the theater.
4. Be courteous and grateful towards the tech crew. If it weren’t for their efforts, your show will look like a rehearsal. Do not
touch or move equipment and props that aren’t for you. If something is in the way of your movement on or off stage, ask for their
assistance. Take them out for a latte every once in a while, too. Maybe it should be juice.
5. Costume construction takes money and time. It may be possible that we build a costume for you and then you decide to leave
the show. You may be asked to pay for the costume if it cannot be used by someone else. Please be aware that changing your
mind once the rehearsal process has begun impacts everybody so think before making a commitment. Making you a costume that
doesn’t get used can be quite a source of justified irritation. PLEASE do not let this happen. If you do not want to be in the
show, decide early.
6. When the director is speaking, you will listen and not talk to friends. If you are having a difficult time focusing, change your
physical proximity to those with whom you cannot resist a good private chat. Rehearsals can be fun but they are work. In either
case, your full attention is required. Save the social networking for after the rehearsal.
7. Encourage others to do their best. Our play is a group effort. We get better as a group as individuals get better.
8. If you are caught with contraband (alcohol, drugs, prescription medication that is not yours, etc.) on schools grounds or come to
rehearsal affected by an illegal substance, you will be cut from the show.
9. Communication is conducted via email. You are responsible for checking your email on a daily basis in order to receive
updated information. This is not your parent’s job. Once the schedule is posted, you are expected to read it and follow it. It is
not anyone else’s responsibility to give YOU the schedule. You must check the email you have provided us with or the postings
made by the SM. The SM will post a current schedule on the English Department door, the Chorus Room and the Drama Club
Bulletin Board. If you need help reading the schedule, ask the SM. A big part of your involvement is learning how to be
responsible for your daily activities. I am fine with including parents on the email list for ease in scheduling but this will be in a
separate email. They will have to let me know if they want to be included.
10. Please arrive in time to be ready to work according to the schedule. If the schedule says 3:00pm, be ready to work at 3. The
doors will be unlocked earlier. Do not leave belongings in the hall or lobby. Although we do not usually have a problem with
theft, the lobby is available to everyone passing by it. Food is not allowed in the auditorium. Water is ok. Do not arrive at
rehearsals with a meal to eat.
Eating mounds of junk food between school and rehearsal is a notable problem. Please plan for this down time by
bringing healthy snacks from home. Food is important and you should eat! Here is a suggestion- walk around the track
or the block with a friend to unwind from school. You can even go to the weight room and work on the machines. It will
increase your energy while enjoying each other’s company! This will help to create good eating habits. Talk to your
parents about buying things on their weekly outing that you can include in your bags for school.
12. Cell phone conversations and texting can be made before and after rehearsal. Keep the cell phones in your bags. Make your
family arrangements before and after rehearsal. Turn off cell phones and other devices during rehearsals and do not answer them
if we are in the middle of rehearsal if you forgot to turn off your phone. In order to be “present” during rehearsals, you are
expected to NOT check your phones. You’ll live. Let your family know that you will check your phone AFTER rehearsal. Parents
really need to understand this.
13. All cast members are required to help with set building, costume construction, and making/finding props. Please allow
yourself about 20 hours (each of you) for this work in the course of one show. Cast and crew are required to help with strike
immediately following the last show. No one leaves until it is all done. When we all pitch in, it’s done quickly.
14. The handling and care of costumes and props is the responsibility of the actor to whom they are assigned. Costumes will be
hung up after each rehearsal and performance, and props pre-set for the next rehearsal or performance. Do not touch props. They
are often delicate and hard to find and therefore to replace. We are tempted to play with them. Do not. We all thank you.
15. Please inform the director if you have a medical condition, physical limitation or are taking prescription drugs, which may
affect your ability to perform/participate. It would help to remind the director of the condition for which she needs to be aware.
16. Friends/ non- cast members and parents are not permitted at rehearsals or backstage for any reason. This is a courtesy to those
people who may be dressing or preparing for the show. Please tell your parents to avoid embarrassing situations and to not enter
any rehearsal space.
17. Sharing substances like drinks will spread illness, infection, and disease-do not share drinks. Doing so really does spread lots
of nasty things we might be harboring unknowingly inside our bodies. Imbibing from the liquid pools others provide and offering
yours can be the vehicle for spreading unwanted colds, flu, and many more unspeakable illnesses. Listen to your mother. I mean
it. Reread this last message. If you are “caught” sharing a drink, it will be throw out. This is your only warning. Someday you'll
thank me.
18. Hair- Sometimes hair needs to be altered- cutting, dyeing, etc. For example, in How to Succeed, boys needed classic short
male hair cuts. This necessity will be included with the specific play. We like to look good and BE good.
19. When showtime arrives, the cast is responsible for the dressing rooms. We are guests in Mr. Liebman’s room and the Band
Room. Do not touch anything in these rooms even if you are related to either man or if you are the son of ELVIS, himself. Clean
the messes you make and then some. Costumes are to be put away and trash discarded. Food is not permitted around costumes. Eat
before you arrive or in the hall before you change into costume and make-up. Clean up the make-up counter nightly. GUM IS
NEVER ALLOWED IN THE AUDITORIUM DURING REHEARSALS OR SHOWS. I have been known to send people
home who are chewing gum. It's a very basic request and one that gets old fast.
20. Often, actors are responsible for providing their own: undergarments, shoes and stockings. Sometimes they are asked to
provide other commonly found or worn clothing items as well, like khaki pants or white dress shirts. We might even ask actors to
provide things like dresses that they might wear after the show or find in their closets. If these expectations are out of bounds
financially for the families, please let me know and we will help out.
20. Following a performance, the cast must remove costumes, hang them up, and remove make-up before meeting family and
friends in the lobby. Family, friends, and house crew are NOT permitted in the dressing areas or back stage before, during
or after the show.
31.
Make-up. We encourage actors to buy and use their own make-up for sanitary purposes. Here is a list of possible on-line
venders. Make sure to purchase early. Big companies are Mehron and Ben Nye. AHHH- you'll need foundation ( I like sticks and
have a test sampler), powder, rouge, lipstick (men go light) brow pencil, eyeliner. We can provide shadows and other special
needs. You might also want to purchase removers. Again, no sharing. (AH- also- when using hair spray, PLEASE do it in the hall
way far away from others!!!!)
http://www.mehron.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=400
https://www.google.com/search?q=ben+nye+stage+makeup+cream+sticks&safe=active&biw=886&bih=448&source=lnms&tbm=
isch&sa=X&ved=0CAgQ_AUoA2oVChMI3qSK_Pq8xwIVzBw-Ch2duAI4#imgrc=YNF8gNCaP4ryQM%3A
Thank you for your cooperation. We hope that these guidelines will help us all to have an enjoyable time together.
I have read the Drama Club Guidelines and will do my best to follow them. Signing this indicates you are accepting the role
and have read this document.
Actor’s name__________________________________________________
PARENT______________________________________________________
_
__________________________ Date