YOU’RE A CAST MEMBER!
Congratulations! You just landed a role in the spring musical. What should you know or do to make the most of this experience?
THEATER ETIQUETTE
Show up early, rehearsed, and ready to work.
LISTEN, DO NOT TALK, and do not interact with others when your directors are teaching you or giving you notes and feedback. It is considered very rude and unprofessional to draw focus to yourself or be a distraction while your teachers are addressing you as a group. Always listen to other people’s questions, because most likely the answer will affect you. Conversely, if you have a question that only pertains to you, wait until the group situation is over to approach the teacher.
Take care of the theater like it is yours. Stay organized and neat, and always pick up trash and throw it away. Grab a broom and dustpan, and sweep anytime you can!
PREPARE, PREPARE, PREPARE
Listen to the songs on repeat, sing in the shower, memorize your lines as early as possible. Attend all rehearsals, be on time, be helpful, and be focused. Have fun, but don’t be a distraction for others. Be ready to LISTEN with a calm body and mind. You will receive many, many directions that you will need to rehearse and remember. Be a team player and think ahead.
PROVIDE & USE YOUR PROPS
As soon as possible, read through the script to find out if you need a prop. If you do, you should prepare it, put your name on it, and bring it to every rehearsal. The prop might be provided for you if the drama department happens to have it, or if the director is particular about it, but otherwise plan on providing your own.
ALL CAST MEMBERS
BACKSTAGE ETIQUETTE
Hype up your castmates and crew!! Support each other and have fun!
If you are not in the scene, wait in the green room.
If you are in the wings, hide in the shadows and only whisper if you must communicate with someone.
If you have a costume change, do it immediately after your last scene is finished; do not wait until just before your next scene.
When the house opens, you must stay backstage or in the green room. Do not go out during intermission. You may take photos with family and friends in your costume after the show, but you must put your costume away before you go home.
Costumes, hair, & Makeup
Always bring your kit. Do not use other people’s supplies.
Read through the details about undergarments, shoes, & supplies here.
If you have multiple costumes, you must be very attentive to keeping the pieces together and ready for each rehearsal.
Treat all costumes with care! They are borrowed from Ms. Z and her company.
THANK YOUR CREW
Your crew members paint the flats, set the scenes, move the props, button your costumes, play the music, and turn on the lights. If it weren’t for them, you’d be in a dark box yelling into the void.
Get to know your crew and thank them every day!
ENSEMBLE
“There are no small parts, only small actors.”
Ensemble members are KEY to creating a high-impact, exciting show! These are the performers that make big numbers BIG! If your child is disappointed they didn’t get a speaking part, remind them that ensemble usually have multiple numbers (which means lots of stage time), sometimes multiple characters (which means multiple costumes and changes). Being in the ensemble is challenging & demanding in different ways than being a lead.
MANAGE YOUR TIME + USE A CALENDAR
The best way to avoid becoming overwhelmed is to be prepared.
At the start of production, get into the habit of entering your rehearsals into a digital or paper calendar that you share with your family. This helps you stay organized and respectful of the time it takes for you to be dropped off and picked up by your drivers. Ms. O will post weekly rehearsal schedules every Sunday night at www.pvisdrama.com, and all the tech rehearsals and show dates are available before production even begins.
The weeks leading up to the shows are very full—lots of rehearsals and long tech days and nights. If you are new to juggling these types of hours, start practicing good time management: plan ahead, be fully present in class and at rehearsals, and fit in your homework and self-care when there’s downtime. The more you can stay ahead, the more you will also have time to rest, which you will want and need to stay healthy!
BE AT EVERY REHEARSAL
Every rehearsal will have new information, choreography, blocking, and feedback from your directors. Things are constantly changing, so if you miss a day, you could miss a lot.
If you must miss because of an appointment, prior commitment, or illness, you are required to notify Ms. O ahead of time or as soon as possible. Email her at oloughlinc@pvpusd.net.
IF YOU MISS REHEARSAL
If you do miss a rehearsal, immediately contact someone in the cast who was there and also learns the same part(s) you do. Arrange a time to meet with them IRL or virtually to go over what you missed. Even if you can’t learn every detail, you can return to rehearsal more prepared. If you miss rehearsal you will definitely miss something, so you need to come back having made an effort to make up the work, just like in any class.
LEADS
You’ve just landed a lead role! This means that the director and producer believe in your abilities to focus, memorize, rehearse, and take direction. You will need to practice these skills at the highest level you can, because as a lead, you cannot hide in the back and just follow along. You must…LEAD! This also means being totally engaged and listening whenever you are given feedback and instructions. You must also set an example for the rest of the cast by being dependable, responsible, and PREPARED at all times.
VOCAL COACHING
The biggest difference between being ensemble and being a lead is that you will now have solos. Being able to sing confidently on stage means that you must truly study and practice your craft for many hours.
You will have the wonderful opportunity to receive individual coaching from Mrs. Secrist, a longtime supporter of the theater programs. You will meet with her once a week, and she will teach you about singing, breathing, and expressing.
Bring a recording device or app on your phone like Voice Notes to record yourself, so you can play back and practice what came up during rehearsals. Practicing between coaching sessions is essential to improvement.
STAY HEALTHY! There are no understudies
There is no one else to play your part if you get sick, so practicing good hygiene, nutrition, fitness, and sleep is very important in the weeks leading up to the show. Wash your hands, don’t share drinks with others, and try to get enough rest. Keeping up with your studies is important, so manage your time wisely, so you still have time to recharge.
GO BIG! YOU ARE A STORYTELLER!
Musical Theater is over-the-top, expressive, colorful, and emotional! Be fearless and try new things, fail, make mistakes, push your limits, and surprise yourself! Embrace the humor, the fear, the joy, and all the emotions of the story. Your job is to move the audience, make them feel, and take them on a journey.
CREATE a memorable CHARACTER
Remember that you are serving a story! You are playing a distinctly written character who drives an important part of that story. Make sure you understand the plot (action), but also the deeper themes (messages).
Beyond reciting lines, you must bring this person (or animal, or creature) to life through your movements, your voice, your facial expressions, your timing, and your interactions with other actors.
Study your character, do your research online. Google and watch how your character has been portrayed by others before in the past—on stage and in film. Learn from them, and then add your own flavor! Try stuff out, collaborated with your castmates, get feedback from your directors. Ask, “what if” and see what happens!