Harrison Middle School Musical Theater

2017-2018

STAGE CREW INFORMATION PACKET

The purpose of this Information Packet is simple-communication. This document

provides the basic structure of musical theater at Harrison Middle School. It presents the foundation that guides the day-to-day operation of the musical in the best interests of the production and all involved. All aspects are continuously assessed to continue strengths, to identify areas of concern and to determine strategies for improvement and continued growth.

Mrs. Hawk, Director Mrs. Verno, Pit Orchestra Director Mr. London, Stage Crew Director

Please visit our website ~ www.hmsmusical.weebly.com

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Musical Theater

Code of Conduct and Participation Requirements Membership in Musical Theater is a privilege, not a right. As a proud member of this organization I agree to the following guidelines of membership:

1. I will obey all Baldwin-Whitehall School District rules while at Harrison or when traveling away from the school for performance purposes.

2. I will treat all adults and fellow musical theater cast, crew, and pit orchestra members with courtesy and respect.

3. I will take proper care of all materials including props, costumes and sets, which includes proper hanging storing of costumes and props.

4. I will behave in a professional manner while in public representing my school at all times. This includes remaining in my designated area and following all directions given by the Musical Theater staff and volunteers.

5. I will adhere to the attendance policy of Musical Theater. I will miss no rehearsals or performances for any reason other than illness or death in the family. When family functions require precedence, I will provide a written request 2 weeks prior to the family commitment.

6. I will take pride in the Musical Theater program, striving to perform at the highest level at all times, striving to improve my theatrical ability at all times, and striving never to betray a negative attitude.

7. I will arrive on time and work hard at all rehearsals, talking only when necessary. 8. I will not leave my 8th period class until walkers and students staying for activities are

dismissed. 9. I will memorize my part in a timely fashion and to meet any deadlines given by the director. 10. I will bring script, notes and music to every rehearsal. 11. I will submit signature page prior to December 1, 2017.

Consequences

Warning Phone Call Home Removal from assemblies or field trips Removal from Musical Theater

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HMS Musical Theater Goals

1. To develop a musical theater production at our best possible level of artistic

excellence that is also educationally valid for our students. A school production that has an efficient organizational structure and effectively implements theater concepts and skills and is artistically successful and enjoyable for all involved, including the audience.

2. To develop a musical theater production that is interdisciplinary in both philosophical structure and practical implementation by bringing various aspects within the district and community together in a cooperative venue.

3. To provide opportunities for students within their roles in the cast, orchestra, or tech crew to learn essential concepts and develop fundamental skills in the art form of live musical theater.

4. To develop the individual intangibles of responsibility, work ethic, motivation, self-reliance, and confidence.

5. To develop the collective intangibles of leadership, pride, cooperation, focus, ability to deal with adversity, problem-solving and interpersonal.

6. To serve a crucial role within a comprehensive theater arts program at HMS that reflects the National Standards for Arts Education (1994) and the PA Academic Standards for the Arts and Humanities (2003).

7. To provide awareness and enrichment opportunities by viewing other school and professional musical theater productions throughout the metropolitan region.

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ATTENDANCE POLICY

Attendance is a very important part of any musical production. To assure that our students are getting the most out of their experience, as well as to insure that our production is as professional as it can be, the following attendance policy has been established.

• Students must be available for all shows. No exceptions!

• Students in a small group or featured ensemble may not miss any of the scheduled rehearsals for that individual group/ensemble. If a student misses a rehearsal for their group the student may be cut from the scene/song that was taught that day.

• Students missing 5 after school rehearsals for any reason will not be permitted to participate in field trips, assemblies or cast party associated with musical theater.

• Students missing the Saturday rehearsal will accumulate 3 absences for that 1 rehearsal.

• Students with a leading role may be removed from that role after 5 absences.

• After 7 absences the student will be removed from the activity.

• Students who are absent from school on the day of a performance or rehearsal are not eligible to participate in the activity on the day of the absence.

Adjustments may need to be made to the rehearsal schedule. This policy applies for changes as well. This policy also applies to students who become academically ineligible to participate in rehearsals.

Exceptions may be made at the discretion of the staff. However, exceptions will only be considered in extreme cases. In such cases, a parent should contact Mrs. Hawk to see what accommodations, if any, can be made. Please review this policy and sign the last form in this packet. No student will be allowed to participate in Musical Theater without signing this form. We need a strong commitment from everyone involved to make our program a success. Thank you again for supporting our endeavors. Sincerely, Musical Theater Staff .

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THIS IS A TENTATIVE SCHEDULE

STAGE CREW MEMBERS WILL BE NOTIFIED OF ANY CHANGES AND/OR MODIFICATIONS TO THE SCHEDULE

Thursday, January 11 Stage Crew 3:20 - 4:30 p.m. Thursday, January 18 Stage Crew 3:20 - 4:30 p.m. Thursday, January 25 Stage Crew 3:20 - 4:30 p.m. Thursday, February 1 Stage Crew 3:20 - 4:30 p.m. Thursday, February 8 Stage Crew 3:20 - 4:30 p.m. SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 10 ALL MEMBERS 10 A.M. – 3 P.M. Thursday, February 15 Stage Crew 3:20 – 4:30 p.m. Thursday, February 22 Stage Crew 3:20 – 5:00 p.m. Friday, February 23 Stage Crew 3:20 – 5:00 p.m.

TECH WEEK REHEARSAL SCHEDULE MONDAY, FEBRUARY 26 ALL MEMBERS UNTIL 5:45 P.M. TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 27 ALL MEMBERS UNTIL 5:45 P.M. WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 28 ALL MEMBERS UNTIL 5:45 P.M. THURSDAY, MARCH 1 ALL MEMBERS UNTIL 5:45 P.M.

NO EXCUSED ABSENCES FROM SATURDAY AND TECH WEEK REHEARSALS!

SHOW SCHEDULE

Sunday, March 4 Call Time 1:30 p.m. Show 2:00 p.m. Thursday, March 8 Call Time 7:00 p.m. Show 7:30 p.m. Friday, March 9 Call Time 7:00 p.m. Show 7:30 p.m. Saturday, March 10 Call Time 10:00 a.m. Show 10:30 a.m. Saturday, March 10 Call Time 7:00 p.m. Show 7:30 p.m.

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JANUARY SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY

1 No School 2 3 4 5 6

7 8 9 10 11 Meeting till 4:20p 12 13

14 15 No School 16 17 18 Meeting till 4:20p 19 20

21 22 No School 23 24 25 Meeting till 4:20p 26 27

28 29 30 31

FEBRUARY SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY

1 Meeting till 4:20p 2 3

4 5 6 7 8 Meeting till 4:20p 9

10 Rehearsal 10a-3p

11 12 13 14 15 Meeting till 4:20p 16 17

18 19 No School 20 21 22 Meeting till 5:00p

23 Meeting till 5:00p 24

25 26 Tech till 5:45p

27 Tech till 5:45p

28 Tech till 5:45p

MARCH SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY

1 Tech till 5:45 2 3

4 Matinee/ Opening Show

5 6 7 8 Show 9 Show

10 Breakfast Performance and Show

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Musicals help kids blossom – By Alice T. Carter PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW – Sunday, March 13, 2011

Forget about the crocus. Ignore the signals sent by Mardi Gras, the opening of the neighborhood Dairy Queen or the appearance of barbecue tools at Target. There is no better sign that spring is on the way than the appearance of a hand-lettered poster proclaiming a production of ‘The Wizard of Oz” at your local high school. The annual high-school musical season is already well underway and productions of “Footloose”, “Les Miserables” and “Little Shop of Horrors” are blossoming throughout the region. As a theater critic and a long-time Gene Kelly Awards judge, it’s a time of year look forward to for several reasons beside the end to ice and snow. Part of me is cheered by the knowledge that this long-standing tradition continues because lots of people agree with me that live theater still matters. Despite the lures of YouTube, live-streaming of commercial videos and virtual reality shows, there’s still a respectable number of kids who audition for roles or sign up to paint scenery, hang lights or volunteer for a place in the orchestra pit for the year’s musicals. Additionally, there’s an ardent corps of parents, educators and adults who battle against ever-tightening purse strings to raise the money and acquire the materials necessary to create the temporary worlds of “Chicago”, “Urinetown” and “Oklahoma.” It is good to know that another generation of kids will be directly exposed to some important life lessons that would otherwise leave them rolling their eyes at adults’ attempts to enlighten them. • Close enough isn’t close enough. Anyone who has been left onstage to improvise when someone else misses an entrance will attest to the importance of punctuality. Attention to detail also reveals itself as necessary when a sound technician fails to turn off an exciting actor’s mike and broadcasts embarrassing backstage commentary to the audience or a prop person puts the letter that reveals all on the wrong side of the stage. • Teamwork is crucial. It only takes one rehearsal without a full cast or orchestra to realize the impact of one person’s absence. That missing person throws off dance sequences, leaves a gap in the dialogue or unbalances the orchestra in ways that are far more vivid than a teacher’s 10-minute lecture. • Hard work creates self-esteem. There’s little to beat the elation a cast and crew experiences on hearing the applause on opening night. Yes, some of that is the high that comes from receiving audience approval. But it’s also generated by looking back to the show’s beginning rehearsals to see how far everyone has come – obstacles surmounted, frustrations transformed into accomplishments and skills mastered. • Yes, you can. The high-school musical allows youngsters to try out new sides of themselves and not just by assuming a character role. It’s a supportive environment that can lead to personal achievements and unexpected revelations-- a kid who cautiously dons his first pair of tap shoes and ends up mastering a time step, the person who overcome shyness to reveal a comic instinct, or someone with two left feet and a tin ear who discovers that her ability to organize is a highly valued talent backstage. Even if they never again appear on or behind stage, those lessons learned can remain with them for life.

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Sign up for important updates

Don’t have a mobile phone? Go to rmd.at/stagecrew5 on a desktop computer to sign up for email notifications.

Pick a way to receive messages for HMS Stage Crew:

A If you have a smartphone, get push notifications.

On your iPhone or Android phone, open your web browser and go to the following link:

rmd.at/stagecrew5

Join HMS Stage Crew Full Name

Follow the instructions to sign up for Remind. You’ll be prompted to download the mobile app. Phone Number or Email Address

B If you don’t have a smartphone, get text notifications.

Text the message @stagecrew5 to the number 81010.

To

81010 If you’re having trouble with 81010, try texting @stagecrew5 to (567) 455-7629. Message

* Standard text message rates apply. @stagecrew5

rmd.at/stagecrew5

First and Last Name

(555) 555-5555

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Stage Crew Signature Page

Please initial each of the following statements:

________ I have read and agree to the Code of Conduct ________ I have read and agree to the Attendance Policy

Student Name (Printed) ________________________________ Student Signature _____________________________________ Parent/Guarding Signature _____________________________

This page must be completed and returned to Mr. London in Room 118

on or before Friday, December 1, 2017

No student will be permitted to participate without submitting a completed signature page.

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T-Shirt Order Form

Show shirts are available for stage crew members to purchase

but are not required. The cost is $10.00 with checks made payable to Harrison Middle School.

Name: _____________________________________________ T-shirt size (adult shirts) ______________________________

This order form and payment must be turn in by Thursday, January 18, 2018

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Parent Volunteer Form Please return by December 1, 2017

Dear Parents, As you know, it takes much effort to put together a musical. We are in need of

assistance in many areas of our production. Below is a form for you to fill out. Please check all boxes that are appropriate. Someone will contact all volunteers with a schedule. Make sure to fill out your name and phone number so that you can be contacted.

Thank you very much for your help in making this program a success.

Musical Theater Production Staff Name ______________________________ Phone ____________________ Email ______________________________________________________________ ___ Backstage Monitor ___ Dressing Room Monitor ___ Washing ___ Ironing ___ Sewing ___ Tickets ___ Gift Table ___ 50/50 ___ Props ___ Set Construction ___ Set Painting ___ Breakfast organizer Please circle dates that you are available to be assist so that we may set a schedule: Saturday 2/10 (12-3) Monday 2/26 (after school) Tuesday 2/27 (after school) Wednesday 2/28 (after school) Thursday 3/1 (after school) Sunday 3/4/18 (show) Thursday 3/8/17 (show) Friday 3/9/17 (show) Saturday 3/10/18 (show) Saturday 3/10/18 (breakfast)