PARTICIPATION POLICIES

Thanks for being part of Wildfish this semester!  At Wildfish Theatre Company, we are not just creating excellent musical theatre performers, we are cultivating an experience for our students that will help them grow as leaders and learn important life lessons.  We want them to be successful in anything they choose to do, and many of the lessons learned while producing a show can be applied to everyday life and make them more successful people.

Some of these lessons include:

•    Commitment

•    Responsibility

•    Respect & Consideration for Others

•    Self-Reliance

•    Independence

•    Teamwork

•    Dedication

•    Confidence

We have set rules in place to help us teach these lessons, to allow us to do our jobs to the best of our ability, and to benefit the quality of the production at the end of the semester.

PHONE

Our office phone number is 713-899-7595.   We will return calls during our office hours, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday-Friday.  If you call, we will attempt to get back to you as soon as possible, however, please understand that it may take up to 24 hours.  

*Please do not contact us on our personal phones.  An email is best, and if we do contact you back on our personal cell phones, please refrain from using this communication first.  It’s overwhelming to get texts and phone calls from parents at various times of day/night.

The BEST way to contact us if you are running late for a rehearsal, unexpected illness or something regarding the next day’s rehearsal or performance is to email admin@wildfishtheatre.com, as we do check the email before, during and after rehearsal.

EMAIL

Please add admin@wildfishtheatre.com to your contacts. All emails directed to your student’s class will be sent from this email. If we send out an email, please read the email in its entirety.  Also, please refer to emails/website for answers before calling or emailing with a question to be sure the answer has not already been given.  

ABSENCES / REHEARSAL ATTENDANCE

 We have a very high standard of quality at Wildfish. Not only in the finished product of the show, but also in the experience throughout the semester for all students. Theatre and the rehearsal process are a unique team effort. In order to keep to our standards and allow us to do our jobs to the best of our ability, we have a policy of NO ABSENCES. This means any foreseen circumstances in which your child would miss class or have to leave early or arrive late.  It is distracting when students leave class early for other events, so we need plenty of advance notice.

This INCLUDES dress rehearsals and performances.  Each class is scheduled for 2 (sometimes 3 or 4 for certain classes) performances of their show and the show date/times have been set from the beginning and cannot be changed.  Attendance at dress rehearsal and all scheduled shows is MANDATORY. Also, you need to allow call-time when determining your schedule.  Call time can be from ½ hour to 1 hour prior to the show and is determined and announced as we near performance dates.  

The only valid absences are:

•    Severe illness that is accompanied by fever and is contagious, including COVID-19.

•    Exposure to or suspected COVID-19.  If your student has been exposed to COVID-19 or you suspect they may have COVID-19, we would require them to be tested and test negative before returning to class. 

•    School obligation that counts as a grade and occurs during our class hours. Schools do not always tell students of these extra obligations until the week of, but if you know in advance you must notify us immediately. Having “too much homework” is not included in this.

Even with these exceptions, we will still have many absences. Kids get sick and school comes first.  We understand that these strict limitations do not work for everyone, and that is ok. Please consider if this works for your child’s schedule before signing them up for class. Perhaps if it doesn’t work this semester, it can work for another.

IF A REHEARSAL IS MISSED

During the production process, new material is covered at each rehearsal. Absences/tardiness /leaving early affects the entire cast.  We must be notified as far in advance as possible when a conflict arises.  When we know a student will be absent /tardy/leave early, it allows us to do our best to adjust the rehearsal schedule accordingly.  Please understand that it is our job to consider the entire cast and production, and if your child is absent, they may be staged out of a number or scene.  Sometimes a private lesson can be arranged to learn material missed.  We do not have time to go back and rework a scene with the whole cast to make up for one student’s absence.

We will always be willing to work with a student who has an excused absence if we can and if it is not too complicated for the rest of the class to stage him/her back in.  We have a limited amount of time.  We cannot spend 45 minutes of a class reworking something for one person. Forty-five minutes out of a 30-45 hour rehearsal process is A LOT of time.  If we cannot put them back in, it is certainly not a punishment.  We are as fair as we can be but being fair to a single cast member at the expense of the cast is not the focus of this program, or theatre in general.

CLASS DROP OFF/PICK UP

·       Dramatics & Ladybugs students can be brought downstairs to be checked into class.  Once they are familiar with the process, they may come downstairs on their own.  At the end of class, students will come upstairs to be picked up at the door or outside.  A staff member will accompany them.

·       Players & Audition class students may come downstairs on their own.  At the end of class, students will come upstairs to be picked up at the door.  A staff member will accompany the Players classes.

·       Students are not supposed to wait outside the building without an adult.  Please discuss this with your child.  We will also let the kids know they are not allowed to leave the building until they see you/your car.  

·       Traffic in and around the Galleria area is often heavy; please always try to plan ahead and arrive promptly to pick your child up at the end of class.  If you arrive more than five minutes early, please DO NOT form a line around the shopping complex!  This has been a growing trend lately, and we have been notified by management on numerous occasions that it is not allowed and against Fire Codes.  Park and then pull up when class is released. There is plenty of parking in the lot during the semester class pick-up times.  Also, DO NOT park in the designated spots for Saatva Mattress or Body 20.

·       Children must be picked up on time for the last class of the day.  Late pick-ups will be charged $1/minute to cover the additional staff cost.

CALENDAR

Class Schedules/Show Times are on the calendar on our website at www.wildfishtheatre.org. Please refer to this for questions regarding rehearsal schedule.  If it is on the calendar, we have class.  If it is not, we do not. 

COSTUMES

It is possible that you will need to provide some costume pieces for your student.   We should be able to let you know at least 4 weeks before they are required to have it.  We will communicate exactly what you need to get and where you can buy it.  We appreciate your cooperation with providing the pieces that are impractical to fit or share!  

DRESS CODE

Students should wear clothes that they can move in without worry.  Hair must be pulled out of the face for rehearsals.  They MUST wear shoes.  If your child is coming straight from school, be sure to pack a change of shoes or clothes, if needed. NO Short skirts, Flip-Flops, Crocs, Thongs or Sandals.

FOOD

NO FOOD IN THE THEATRE!!!!!

Please be sure your child eats a meal or snack on the way to class and that they refrain from bringing food into the building.  We will not be having a snack break as part of class.

NO GUM!!  It is dangerous to dance and sing with gum, and we often wind up with gum stuck under the arms of the chairs.  

BRING A WATER BOTTLE

Students need to bring a water bottle labeled with their name to class.  We have a water dispenser they are welcome to refill with.  We cannot provide cups for 300.  If for some reason a child forgets their bottle, we will have some cups for them to use.  Donations of plastic/paper cups are always appreciated!  Water bottles left behind put on the black bookcase or bar for a period of time and then discarded.

LOST AND FOUND

Clothes will be in the black bins under the magnetic board and water bottles will go on the bar or the bookcase.  We only keep lost and found through the semester, and then we take it to Salvation Army.

GOOD ATTITUDE/CASTING

Students and parents are expected to be gracious and respectful about our casting choices. Casting is always done with the success of each student in mind and is not an easy task. Please encourage and support your child throughout the process.  Our casting decisions are not up for discussion.  We put a great deal of time and thought into casting, keeping aware of how the students audition was and how they handled previous semesters.  We always have the best intentions for each individual child.  Trust us.  Just because your student may get a small role in the show does not mean he or she will be overlooked or not featured.  It has been the case many times at Wildfish that a child will have a smaller role one semester and a leading role the next!   Encourage your child to work very hard at the part they are given!  

SCRIPTS & LINE MEMORIZATION

Please bring scripts and a pencil to every rehearsal!

Students will be writing down blocking and vocal notes and it really helps them retain what they learn in class if they have a chance to write it down and practice at home. If a script is left behind, they can look on with a classmate. Sometimes we have extra scripts to borrow. If a script is lost, just email admin@wildfishtheatre.com and ask for a digital copy to print.  

Once cast, students are expected to memorize material as soon as possible.  Some roles have large “line loads” and will require extensive outside study.  It should be treated like homework.  The general rule of theatre is once a scene or number has been staged, the actor is expected to be “off-book” when the scene is rehearsed again.  Please help your child memorize their lines just like you help them study for a test.

CONSEQUENCES OF NOT KNOWING LINES

If a student does not learn their lines, it is possible that we will give them to another student who either already knows them or already knows their own lines very well.  This, of course, would only occur after giving the student warning or two- or three- and likely sending an email home.  We never want to take lines away from a child.  This is a last resort option that we must take for the sake of the show.  It is something that would only occur in the last month of class while we are in run-throughs.   

If you receive an email that is a general note to the whole class regarding memorization of lines- assume that it could be your child!  We do not always have the time to send individual emails out- especially when one problem is an issue with many students.

OUTSIDE HELP/TRAINING

We support and encourage students to take voice/acting/dancing technique lessons outside of our classes!  It will help improve their skills.  However, another teacher may not contradict or change our direction for the show/music in any way. 

If you need a copy of the sheet music to practice with an instructor, you may come in before or after class to borrow the score and run up to Fedex and make a copy.  Please double-check with your musical director that you are performing the song in the key that the score is written in.  We often change the key for certain singers, and it is important to convey that information to anyone helping you with the music.

ELECTRONIC DEVICES

Use of electronic devices (iPads, Smart Phones, Laptops, iPods) is prohibited during class time – with the EXCEPTION of using it to record music or video blocking.  

TICKETS

We have an intimate space and tickets are limited per student, per show.  We are especially aware of that during this time and will be evaluating the number of tickets that we can make available for each show as the semester progresses. Information about tickets will be made available as soon as we have made the decision and we appreciate your understanding.

VOLUNTEERING

We often require parent help and participation to make the shows as professional and complete as possible.  Please come forward and let us know if you have a useful skill set like sewing. Please be checking your email for volunteer opportunities.  

SHOW INFO - Hair, Call Times, Tickets, Guest Etiquette

Emails regarding hair, call times, and what to bring or wear under your costume for the show will be sent in the weeks before the show.  Look for these emails and SAVE them so you do not have any questions later.

 VIDEO / INTERNET SHARING

It is against copyright laws to video any portion of the performance.  You will be allowed to take pictures (no flash).  If we find anything that we have produced on YouTube or Facebook, we will immediately contact you to take it down.  If you were to be caught by the Rights holding houses, it is up to a $20,000 fine. 

REHEARSAL RULES AND GUIDELINES

Parents, please read through these guidelines with your student!

1. A positive attitude is everything! Treat your fellow actors and director with respect.

2. Be ready to rehearse on time.  Parents, I do realize this is beyond student control and that Galleria traffic is terrible sometimes.  Just do your best to get them there as quickly as possible.  We cover a lot of content in the short, once a week rehearsals.

 3. Listen to your director, choreographer, musical director and stage manager or class assistant.  Wildfish has different faculty working with each class to finish our show in time, and it’s important to take notes and direction from everyone.

4. Always bring a pencil and your script to rehearsal and write down the notes the director gives you, every time.

5. Pay attention during rehearsal. Know when it is your time on stage. Do not have the director or stage manager have to come and find you.

6. Be direct-able. That means try the things asked of you, even if you disagree or feel silly.  No actors every laugh at you for taking risks and being expression.  That is what people usually admire most.

7. No fooling around or talking backstage during rehearsal.  It can distract other actors, and it can be noisy and disrupt the rehearsal process.

8. Your creative ideas are always welcome and encouraged—but remember the director has the final say.

9. Do not handle other people’s props.   It may break, you may misplace it.  We have a lot of classes and shows, and often wear and tear on props means recreating and fixing them multiple times before the show even goes up!  Let’s prevent putting more work on our set/prop designer.

 10. Learn your lines as soon as they are handed out.  Do not assume you have all semester to get them down.  Real character development begins after you know your lines.  It’s best to know they before we get to your scene.  The rehearsal time will be cut in half.

11. Be willing to help in any way you can to make this a successful production. Theatre is a collaborative creation. 

12. Always support fellow actors with positivity!  Never discourage a student, and never ever give notes.  Only the director is allowed to tell a student if they have made a mistake.

 13. Do not complain about costumes.  A simple ‘thank you’ is appropriate when being costumes.  Do not complain to friends either. 

14. Speaking of costumes, always hang up your costume and place props back in their proper place after rehearsal.

15.  Do not draw on the walls, touch any equipment that belongs to musicians, set designer, or any facility equipment.

AUDITIONS AND CASTING 

Auditions can be stressful for some kids, so we want to give insight for what to expect, what we are looking for, and pointers for feeling prepared.

 Audition Process:

1.     Audition Song.  We will learn between 4-6 audition “cuts” on the first day of class and email them home within a few days.  Your child should pick 1 song that they like and know best to sing for auditions.  This will give us an opportunity to hear pitch, volume, rhythm as well as see expression.  This is key...explanation below.

2.     Character Lines.  We will stand in a semi-circle on the stage and each child gets an opportunity to repeat a character line the director gives them.  We say the line out loud multiple times together, and then everyone gets a chance to show how they would say the line with expression.  We will say between 5-8 different character lines.  This gives us chances to see what type of character the students are willing and or capable of portraying.  It also allows the shyer students multiple tries to gain confidence and volume.

 3.     Dance:  We will learn about 30-45 seconds of a dance number to a song in the show. 

 What are we looking for:

1.     Volume- If a child is going to have a solo, we need to be able to hear them. Loud and proud is sometimes better than perfect notes!

2.     Confidence- We need to see that a student is comfortable performing alone.  Eyes up and out, good posture and using natural gestures/ not dance moves.

3.     Expression- Facial expression is the MOST important thing, and often what is missing from many student auditions.  This is especially true for newer students.  Use your face! 

4.     Good Behavior- Silence during the auditions is extremely important.  We take into consideration audition behavior, class listening skills when casting roles that require a lot of discipline and self-motivation.  If it seems like a child is going to goof off a lot, we keep that in mind with casting.

5.     Extra things considered- We often look at extra things when deciding roles.  How long a student has been in class and if they are improving.  We like to honor great work ethic.  Sometimes something like height and age will come in to play when casting.  We would never cast a younger kid as the MOM role, and the youngest role in the show won’t go to the tallest kid in class, etc.  Casting is like a puzzle, some kids can fit in many places, and some have a distinct “comfort zone” with their acting and can only play certain types of roles.  We have to cast a show in such a way that everyone fits into the “puzzle” that makes the show the strongest it can be.

 How to Prepare:

*Practice the song so you really know the words!! 

*Try recording yourself singing so you can see what you look like

*READ THE SCRIPT!  This gives you an idea of what the show is about, what the character lines and songs are. 

*Say your name LOUD and CLEAR when you audition.  Make eye contact with the teachers.   

CASTING

Let’s face it, most kids are going to want to be the “lead” in any show we do.  We are inevitably going to have disappointed children.  But it is really important to think of each role as a learning opportunity, and to understand that the number of “lines” one has is in no way a reflection of how much work they will do.

Casting disappointments can take a toll on students and parents even.  Sooo….here are some things that I have encountered that I can hopefully help with the initial blues of casting.

Casting is hard and it takes an emotional toll on the directors too.  All final choices are made keeping in mind the success of the show and the students.  Trust that the directors only want what is best for everyone on that stage and they will make sure that everyone has some moment to shine!

Usually there are extra “bits” that come up in the show that you will be given.  Going through the script and counting lines is never a good idea.  It gives you a false idea of how much you will participate in the show.

Support your show and fellow cast mates by coming in with a great attitude.  Positivity is infectious. 

 Look ahead at lines marked “solo” in the script, if there are any.  If you know the line before the director gets to it, you have a high chance of getting it. 

You will still have all the group numbers with all those lyrics and dancing, so work on memorizing that!  Anytime it says ALL- that’s you!

Casting advice for parents:

Your kid might be disappointed in casting.  It can make it harder on your student by complaining about the size of their part to your child.  Help them see the positives by going through how they can make that part the best it can be.  Try to not comment on other students getting “bigger” parts etc.  Any kind of negative talk is infectious.

Over the years I have responded to a few parent/ student concerns that pop up from time to time, and I thought I could share my insight.

“If you would just give my kid a chance…”  I have heard this one before.  And the thought here is that if they have “more” to do, they will be “better.” This has a simple response.  Anytime you are onstage, it is a chance to stand out.  Believe me, kids that give it their all do not go unnoticed.  It isn’t uncommon that newer, seemingly shyer kids will be cast as an ensemble role, and we truly notice when they are always prepared to get onstage for their parts, how they use a lot of expression, and when they quickly memorize their lyrics/and or lines.

“They just didn’t really like their part.” How many of us have gotten that job that just wasn’t what we wanted?  It happens, but there have been times that I have created my best work from my worst circumstance.   You’re disappointed you only have 2 or 3 lines….well you be the most darn expressive kid on that stage and get yourself in the front line for the dancing.  When my sister was in Oliver, there was a girl playing the doctor who examines Oliver in the top of Act 2.  She literally stole the show by coming up with a comedic, engaging character that really charmed the audience.  I bet you didn’t even know there was a doctor in Oliver.

I have told students before, don’t sabotage your performance in a show because you didn’t get the part that you wanted.  If your line is “Hi Charlie Brown” try to say it in a way people will remember you.  It can be like you are shy, like you are snickering at him, like you have a crush on him and add a giggle. 

“They feel unimportant to the show.” I have witnessed several kids have fallen victim to this notion.  Being what is considered by some to be a “lesser” part with less solo lines seems “insignificant.” If a kid feels their role is insignificant, they won’t try to excel with what they have.  Great shows are only great if all the actors in the ensemble are working hard. Generally, the most exciting parts of a musical are the big singing and dancing numbers!!  When we go to the Junior Theater Festival everyone is in the ensemble since we mostly do large singing and dancing numbers.  One year we did Little Mermaid, and the girl playing Ariel had significantly less to do than literally EVERY OTHER PERSON IN THE CAST. 

“My kid is so sassy and has SO much personality at home.”  Really, your 9-year-old girl is sassy with you?!!  LOL! Yes, every kid has a big personality at home.  I have a 8-year-old going on 18-year-old myself.  But she does not do the same thing for an audience that she will do for me.  Here is the thing, you SHOULD be your child’s biggest fan.  We have been working with talented kids for 20 years.  Some of our students are on Broadway, Nickelodeon, Stranger Things, and Lifetime movies.  We have a pretty good idea of how to gage potential, and this is a great training program. We strive for everyone to be improving in their skills, no matter experience level or age.  As parents we see our kids through rose colored glasses, as we should.  When my daughter did Seussical and said her line, “You think that it’s Heaven on Earth, YES YOU DO!” I cried.  It was brilliant! 

To make a short point of a LONG document, theater can be really fun if you let it be about learning and having an experience.  My greatest experiences have always been on shows where I didn’t have the biggest part.  I made amazing friends and put on a fantastic show.  The size of my role played no significance in my growth or the lifelong memories I made.