O FFI CI AL WV THE S P I A N HAN DBOOK

Transcription

1 O FFI CI AL WV THE S P I A N HAN DBOOK 2019 WV ThesFest: March 14-16, 2019 West Virginia University Morgantown, WV Festival Theme: Saved by the Theatre Festival Colors: Pink, green, orange, cream Vi s i t us on t he W e b! www. wv t hes pi ans. or g page 1

2 Table of Contents Purpose & Mission page 3 Contact People page 5 Important Dates page 7 Area and State Festival Rules & Codes of Conduct page 8 One-Act Play Festivals page 10 WV Individual Events page 13 WV Individual Performance Events page 16 Playwriting Competition page 20 Tech Expo General Information page 27 Project Play Lists page 30 Tech Project Categories page 31 Tech Rodeo page 48 T-Shirt Logo Contest page 49 WV State Thespian Scholarships page 50 WV State Thespian Officers page 51 Appendix A Securing Rights for IE materials page 53 Appendix B Area Festival Forms* page 56 Appendix C State Festival Checklist* page 57 Appendix D Adjudication Sheets* page 58 * All forms are found on the website.

3 Purpose & Mission T HE E DUC ATI O N AL T HEA T R E A SSOCIA TION The Educational Theatre Association and its International Thespian Society branch have been working since 1929 to honor excellence among students of theatre and support the work of theatre educators. Originally focused on theatre in high schools, EdTA has in recent years broadened the scope of its mission to embrace the concept of theatre as an instrument of lifelong learning and has expanded its membership to include students and teachers in middle schools, and college students preparing for careers in theatre education. EdTA s major branches and activities: The Educational Theatre Association: The professional association for theatre educators, with more than 4,000 members in the United States, Canada, and overseas, is the premier high school theatre association of its kind. The International Thespian Society: The honorary society for high school theatre students has troupes in more than 3,400 North American, Canadian, and Pacific schools and has inducted more than two million members since its founding in Junior Thespians: The middle school branch of the Thespian Society. WV S TATE T HES P I A N F EST I VAL Purpose: The purpose of the WV State Thespian Festival is to provide a safe and enriching environment for the students of West Virginia to showcase their artistic work in the theatre. Goals: To create and reinforce theatrical education and expression in West Virginia. To build bridges between administrators and educators that foster a greater support for the arts. To help the theatre teachers of WV create better theatrical productions for their communities. To help the students of WV become successful theatre artists in their high school and post- high school careers. Act well your part, there all honor lies. page 3

4 Mission First SHAPING LIVES EdTA s mission is shaping lives through theatre education by: honoring student achievement in theatre and enriching their theatre education experience; supporting teachers by providing professional development, networking opportunities, resources, and recognition; and influencing public opinion that theatre education is essential and builds life skills. Core Values H O W W E A C C O M P L I S H T H E M I S S I O N People Matter Every individual has the opportunity to make a difference. Take care of yourself and your colleagues. Cultivate each person s skills, strengths & talents. Be respectful, considerate, and honest with each other. Strive for Excellence Define success. Be open to and embrace positive change. Look outside the walls of EdTA. Learn and document new ways to do things better. Take risks turn both successes and failures into lessons learned. Work Together The best ideas, performance, and results come through collaboration. Focus on the objective and challenge ideas, not people. Be kind, assertive and supportive, even when there is disagreement. Be the person you want to work with Celebrate individuality and honor diversity. Engage fully. Bring joy and optimism to your work. Work through conflicts, do not avoid them. Support the final decision. page 4

5 Contact People Ch a p t e r Di r e c t o r : M a r t h a B. L o u d e n 182 Maddex Farm Drive, Shepherdstown, WV Phone: (304) ; mblouden@yahoo.com 2017 St a t e H o s t : Josh Williamson, Director WVU School of Theatre and Dance One Fine Arts Drive, Morgantown, WV Joshua.Williamson@mail.wvu.edu Ar e a I Director : Ar e a I I Director: Da n H e n t h o r n M a g n o l i a Hi g h S c h o o l 601 Maple Avenue, New Martinsville, WV 2655 Phone: w: (304) ; dmhenthorn@k12.wv.us Counties: Brooke, Hancock, Marshall, Ohio, Tyler and Wetzel Christina Iman, Ripley High School 2 School Street, Ripley, WV Phone: w: (304) ; ciman@boe.jack.k12.wv.us Counties: Braxton, Calhoun, Gilmer, Jackson, Pleasants, Ritchie, Roane, Wirt and Wood Ar e a I I I NORTH Director: Er i n Ad a m s Fa i r m o n t Se n i o r H i g h Sc h o o l 1 Loop Park, Fairmont, WV elzuchowski@k12.wv.us SCHOOLS: Bridgeport HS, Fairmont Sr. HS, Grafton HS, Lincoln HS, Morgantown HS, Robert C. Byrd HS, North Marion HS, University HS Ar e a I I I SOUTH Director: Jason Young Notre Dame High School 127 E. Pike Street, Clarksburg, WV notredamehstheatre@gmail.com SCHOOLS: Buckhannon-Upshur HS, Elkins HS, Lewis Co. HS, Notre Dame HS, South Harrison HS, Tucker Co. HS Ar e a I V Director: Ar e a V Director: Ar e a VI Director: Da v e Ry a n - M a r t i n s b u r g H i g h S c h o o l 701 South Queen St., Martinsburg, WV Phone: w: (304) ; daveryan83@hotmail.com Counties: Berkeley, Grant, Hampshire, Hardy, Jefferson, Mineral and Morgan Jam i e Jar v i s W e b s t e r C o u n t y H i g h S c h o o l 1 Highlander Drive, Cowen, WV jarvisjj@me.com Counties: Fayette, Greenbrier, Summers, McDowell, Mercer, Monroe, Nicholas, Pocahontas Raleigh, Webster and Wyoming Helen Freeman Huntington High School 1 Highlander Way, Huntington, WV hhfreema@k12.wv.us Counties: Boone, Cabell, Clay, Kanawha, Mingo, Lincoln, Mason, Putnam, Wayne and Logan page 5

6 Contact People (continued) Sta t e The s p i a n Off i c e r s (ST O s) Emily Baker Kaitlyn French Allysun Hammond Kaelin Hoke Morgan Johnson Magdelyn Kelly Renee Morris Jacob Pennell Sydney Scarberry Abby Smith Cameron Smith Rigel Surbaugh Cassidy Sweeney Martinsburg High School Martinsburg High School Elkins High School Huntington High School Hedgesville High School Musselman High School Fairmont Sr. High School Magnolia High School Ripley High School Parkersburg High School Fairmont Sr. High School Webster High School Huntington High School S tate The s p i a n Off i c e r Advisor Caitlin Maxwell 182 Maddex Farm Drive, Shepherdstown, WV Phone: (304) ; cplmaxwell17@gmail.com Sta t e B o a r d Sec r e t a r y Lori Zyla Parkersburg HS; 2101 Dudley Avenue, Parkersburg, WV Phone: w: (304) ; ldzyla@gmail.com Mid d l e S c h o o l R e p r e s e n t a t i v e L. Douglas Parks Blennerhassett Middle School; 444 Jewell Rd, Parkersburg, WV Phone: (304) ; ldparks@k12.wv.us Sta t e Tec h E x p o Org a n i z e r Martha Louden 182 Maddex Farm Drive, Shepherdstown, WV Phone: w: (304) ; mblouden@yahoo.com Pla y w r i t i n g C o m p e t i t i o n Donna Earley ArtsLink, Inc., 141 Main Street New Martinsville, Phone: (304) ; artslink@artslinkwv.org Wor k s h o p s O r g a n i z e r Jeff Hudkins 109 Ridge Rd. North, Hedgesville, WV, Phone: w: (304) ; jhudkins@frontiernet.net Tec h n i c a l Lia i s o n w i t h V e n u e Michael Stiles Musselman High School; 126 Excellence Way, Inwood, WV Phone: (304) ; musselmantheatre@comcast.net Lod g i n g Coo r d i n a t o r Dave Ryan - Martinsburg High School; 701 South Queen St., Martinsburg, WV Phone: w: (304) ; daveryan83@hotmail.com page 6

7 Important Dates Area One- Act Festival Dates AREA 1 February 2, 2019 AREA 4 January 26, 2019 Magnolia High School Musselman High School Host: Dan Henthorn Host: Mike Stiles AREA 2: January 12, 2019 AREA 5 January 26, 2019 Ripley High School Tamarack Host: Christina Iman Host: Jamie Jarvis AREA 3 NORTH: January 26, 2019 AREA 6 February 2, 2019 Fairmont Sr. High School Huntington High School Host: Erin Adams Host: Helen Freeman AREA 3 SOUTH: January 21, 2019 West Virginia Wesleyan College Host: Jason Young IMP O R T A N T D E A D L INE S F O R Y O U R C A L E N D A R Monday, December 31, 2018 Deadline for STO Application entries to STO Advisor and Chapter Director. S a t u r d a y, J a n u a r y 19, 2019 T-shirt Logo Contest submissions are due to the Area Directors (no form necessary, just send in the logo with the name of student, director and school). T w o w e e k s p r i o r t o A r e a F e s t i v a l Deadline for Area Festival Registration. Dues must be sent to Chapter Director by December 1, 2018 for a school to be adjudicated or participate at Area Festivals. Friday, F e b r u a r y 8, S aturday, February 2, 2019 Director. Play submissions need to be REC EI VED by this date at: Donna Earley c/o ArtsLink, 141 Main St., New Martinsville WV, Final Date for All Area Festivals. No Area Festivals after this date unless arranged with Chapter Friday, February 15, 2019 Deadline for ALL State Festival Forms, including t-shirt order forms, Short Film Submission Forms, and Scholarship Applications to be received by the State Director! State Schools that don t register by this date cannot participate or compete at the State Festival! Festival Fees, however, can be paid at the registration desk at the festival on the first day of the festival. *All dates are subject to change due to weather or other unexpected circumstances. Changes will be noted on the website. page 7

8 Area and State Festival Rules & Codes of Conduct (Sponsors are requested to make a copy of the following rules and regulations and distribute them to all students, parents and chaperones prior to departing for the West Virginia State Thespian Festival) REGIS T RATI O N & ELI G IBL ITY A school must register with the State Chapter Director to participate in the Area and State Festivals. To register, fill out the Dues Invoice form available on the website and send it to the Chapter Director by December 1, along with payment for annual dues. ALL WEST VIRGINIA HIGH SCHOOLS are eligible to participate regardless of Thespian Troupe status. WV Middle Schools can participate on a limited basis as detailed below. Annual state dues are different for Thespian and non-thespian schools. Schools that have Thespian Troupes (or Junior Thespian Troupes) must pay $40 to register their school. Schools that DO NOT have a Thespian Troupe (or Junior Thespian Troupe) must pay $45 dues to register their school. These dues are paid each year. These dues help cover annual insurance, scholarships, and operating costs. All West Virginia High Schools (grades 9-12) and Middle Schools (grades 7 & 8) are eligible to participate in Area and State Thespian Festivals. However, Middle School participation in competition against high schools is limited in different events. Please refer to the rules of each state festival event to fully understand how Middle School students may participate and/or compete at the WV State Thespian Festival. ALC O H O L / DRUGS Students consuming or under the influence of drugs or alcohol at any time during any festival will be returned home on the first violation. The parent, guardian, or next of kin will be financially responsible for all necessary costs incurred in returning the student home. Any group or individual event the student is involved in will be automatically disqualified from competition. (i.e. if Johnny is caught with alcohol in his room, and Johnny has a part in his school s one-act play, then the one-act play is disqualified from performing or receiving any award for having performed. But if Johnny has a tech project and is not a part of the school s one-act play (tech or acting), then he is disqualified from the Tech Expo, and the school s one-act play can still perform and/or receive an award for performing.) FESTIV A L SECUR I TY & E M E R G E N CY P R OCED U R E S If a group is staying at a hotel, they are to provide the hotel with a list of students names, names of chaperones (including the director), and the rooms they will be staying in. The registration desk will also require from each group the hotel name, the hotel phone number and each chaperone s cell phone number. Chaperone and director phone information is required at the Registration Desk even if students are staying at home during the festival. All delegates, students and adults, are required to turn in health forms at registration. Teachers and key chaperones need to have medical information and a working cell phone with them at all times in case of an emergency. If a student has an emergency, the director or key chaperones will be contacted through the Registration Desk. To m a k e y o u r c h e c k i n a t t h e f e s t i v a l e a s i e r, p l e a s e hav e t hi s i nf or m at i on pr epar ed bef or e c om i ng t o t he f es t i v al. All students are required to be in their assigned hotel rooms prior to the 12:00 a.m. curfew each night. ALL MUSIC, LIGHTS, ETC. MUST BE OFF BY 12:30 A.M. Immediately following curfew each night of the conference, all directors (with or without key chaperones) must conduct a room check of all their students by physically checking the rooms. Any absences must be promptly reported to the State Director. Hotels may also contact the State Director if there are any problems from groups during the festival. PROPERTY DAMAGE Delegates will be held responsible for damages caused by them to hotel or Host property. The hotel or Host will bill the student, the parents and/or the school, for any damage and/or fees not collected at the time of checkout. The WV Thespian Festival will charge the school for any festival fees not collected at the time of registration. The WV Thespian Festival is not responsible for lost or stolen items during the festival. page 8

9 THE A TRE F EST I VAL ETI Q U ETT E Beverages and food are not permitted at any time in the theatre. Student and adult delegates are considered guests of the host facility and the staff is imbued with the attitude of serving as a good host. Student and adult delegates will be gracious guests and conduct themselves as to reflect consideration of others. Excessive noise, improper language, and lack of consideration of others shall be cause for a violation. Respect for other delegates, the Host, staff and students, and other troupe directors is required. No person without proper identification may enter the designated production areas. The taking of flash photography is not allowed at any time during a production. No electronic devices (ipods, mp3 players, video cameras, digital cameras, etc.) are permitted in the audience. Students are to keep their feet off of the seats. Please turn off all cell phones and pagers while in the house. No one is to enter or exit the theatre during a performance! BADGES delegate must wear his/her name badge between the neck and the waist, easily visible, at all times during the festival. Although the shows are open to the public, any person (student or adult) who does not have a festival badge will be barred from other festival activities and backstage areas. Badges will be issued at registration and have names. Badges have a $5 replacement fee if lost. A HEA L T H F O R M S Health forms are included in Appendix B. A copy of the Health Form (2 pages) for ev er y del egat e (students and adults) is to be turned in at registration at the Festival. It is recommended that the two pages of the form be copied front and back on one sheet and the delegate or chaperone keep a copy as well as turning one in at registration. As well, students should carry a copy in their badge wallets. SOCIA L M E D I A G U I D E LIN E S A N D A CCEP TAB LE U SE P OLICY This policy is included in Appendix B. A copy is to be signed by ev er y del egat e (students and adults) and turned in at registration at the Festival. Failure to abide by the policy will follow the violations policy. Adults may be asked to leave the festival and may be barred from future attendance at the festival. VIO L ATI O N S Students violating rules and regulations of the conference may be required to meet with their sponsor or chaperone and with the State Director at 8:00 a.m. the following morning. Violations may cause non- participation of the school in the conference s festival activities until meeting with the State Director. page 9

10 One-Act Play Festivals (Area and State) (Governing Thespian Area and State Festivals; Revised September 2016 by WV State Thespian Board) SCHOOL E LIG B I LITY ALL West Virginia high schools (grades 9-12) are fully eligible to participate in Area and State Thespian Festivals. However, schools that do not have active Thespian Troupes in good standing will not have an official vote in selecting Area Reps, cannot serve on the State Thespian Board as an Area Rep, and will have to pay an additional fee for the WV State Thespian Dues. Adjudication, awards and festival participation are not influenced by Thespian status. All West Virginia Middle Schools (grades 7 & 8) are eligible to participate in Area and State Thespian Festivals. However, Middle Schools cannot be in competition against High Schools. If competing, schools are required to first participate within their own areas before coming to the state festival. The form to register for an Area Festival is the A REA F E S T I VAL F O R M located on the website ( on the Documents page. The theatre teacher must complete and this form to Chapter Director AND to the Area Rep by the due date given. Fees must be paid to the Chapter Director by December 1. If extremely extenuating circumstances require a transfer to another Area, then advanced permission can be granted by using the same form. Permission must be obtained from both Area Reps involved and the Chapter Director. Schools that win at Area Festivals, who would like another separate critique before going to the WV State Festival, may perform and receive such critiques in a different Area if they are willing to travel with the production. STUD E N T E LIG I B I I TY All students who participate in the performance of a festival play, including technicians, backstage crew, operators and actors, must be age and enrolled in four periods/credits per year. In addition, all students who participate in the performance of a festival play, including technicians; backstage crew, operators and actors must be enrolled in the school they are performing with. The Chapter Director prior to the festival can grant special permission for students who wish to perform with a different school in extenuating circumstances and for homeschooled students to participate with a particular school. While we realize that some students attend more than one school and that some counties offer magnet or pull- out programs, no student may appear in more than one play that is entered into an Area or State Festival. Load-in crews and live musicians backstage are permitted to be non-students affiliated with the performing school (adults, alumni, teachers, parents, etc.). However, no non-student performers are allowed on the visible stage or work the tech of show during performance time. ORD E R OF P E R FORM A N CE At Area Festivals, the Area Host, in conjunction with the Area Rep and the other theatre teachers of the area, can decide which method to use for the order of performance. However, no matter what method is used, if a school does not appear by their pre-determined performance time, the school will forfeit. At State Festival, order of participation is determined on a first-come-first-serve basis as the S T A TE P L A Y E N T R Y F O R M S are received from the directors of the Area Festivals winning schools. Special requests made in writing on the S T A TE P L A Y E N T R Y F O R M regarding dates and times of performance will be granted as long as it is possible for state festival coordinators to do so. page 10

11 RUN N I N G T I M E Schools will be given a running time of 45 minutes to set up, perform and strike. After the performance the three festival judges will give a critique. Each judge s critique is to last a maximum of 5 minutes. The official length of the show (i.e. the show s Running Time ) shall be determined from the point when the host stage manager gives the school permission to take the stage until the point when the scenery is struck to the set storage area or to the wings. If the set up, performance and strike time exceeds the 45 minute time limit, the play s director and the judges will be informed of the infraction by the Host s Stage Manager and the judges will be instructed to deduct points accordingly as part of their adjudication. TECHN I CAL CONSID E R A TIONS Technical Walk-through: If possible within time restrictions, the host shall provide a 60-minute technical walk- through prior to the performance of festival shows. This walk-through is to allow students time to acquaint themselves with the technical capabilities of the host facility. No scenery or sets will be allowed on the visual stage. However, sets, special lighting, and sound systems can be set up in the wings, backstage or in the house. Anything set up in the house must not block sightlines. Students are allowed in the control room to review the sound and light boards. Due to scheduling constraints, up to 5 high schools can and may have the same Technical Walk-through time. Staging: All plays will be performed on a basic curtained stage. Each school at the State Festival will be given a 30 wide x 20 deep area in which to perform. The performance area will be taped off prior to the festival. This performance area is subject to change at Area Festivals dependent upon their venue. Properties & Scenery: Any scenery or stage props can be used, but they must be set up and torn down during the 45-minute time limit by the cast and stage crew, with the play s stage manager supervising. Adults and teachers are not permitted to assist in the set-up but can answer questions from students. The competing school must furnish all properties, but in case of an emergency, the host school or other schools at the festival can supply props or scenery. General Lighting: The performance area will be lit in a soft wash and have a nine (9) area lighting plot. If a school s performance exceeds this space, it will not be lit; but will not be disqualified. Other stage lights that happen to be up (such as cyc lights, strip lights, etc.), house lighting and work lights are also at the school s control for use in their performance if they so desire. Each school is guaranteed this general lighting plot. Any additions must be considered Special Lighting. Special Lighting: Any special lighting (gels, special spots, color washes, cyc lights, followspots, etc.) must be provided by the performing school and cleared with the technical director at the host facility. Depending on venue, special requests may not be possible to accommodate. The Host facility CAN provide special lighting, IF prior arrangements are made when festival forms are submitted. If no prior arrangements are made with the host before the beginning of the festival, the hanging, aiming, focusing, geling and/or programming of any special lighting must be done during the Technical Walk-Through time by the stage crew of the performing school in conjunction with the Host s technical crew. In addition, the performing school that uses the special lighting must return the stage lights to its prior condition after their show is done if the lights used are needed by another school. This striking of special lighting can be considered part of the show s Running Time if the lights are needed by the very next show. Sound: If there are audio cues and/or music in your show, schools will need to specify ahead of time to the Host Facility how they are to be produced (i.e. CD, computer, etc.) The Host is to provide the means to play sound cues so they can be heard in the house and backstage or the means for the performing school to hook into their sound system. Backstage or God mics can also be provided by the Host with prior arrangement. The Host must also provide a means to communicate from backstage to the control room, if necessary. Any special sound equipment (i.e. body mics, additional monitors or amps) must be provided by the performing school with prior arrangement with the Host facility and must be set up during the allotted set up time. page 11

12 ADJU DIC ATI O N Up to three judges shall adjudicate each play that is performed at a festival and may sit in the house wherever they wish. After each play performance, each judge shall discuss the plays with the cast and crew present individually. Each judge has 5 minutes to do so. Judges must give a written critique as well as the verbal critique. These comments shall be confined to helping the actors and crew. No criticisms should be offered concerning the direction of the play at this meeting. Directing comments are furnished in writing to the director. After all the plays are performed, the judges are to be placed in separate rooms and rank (1 st, 2 nd, 3 rd, etc.) all plays WITHOUT CONFERRING WITH ONE ANOTHER. After each judge ranks the plays separately, the Chapter Director (or the Area Rep at Area Festivals if necessary) will then add up the rankings for each school individually. The five schools with the lowest rankings will be given O U T S T A N D I NG P ERF O R M A N C E A W A R D S at the State Festival. The ranking process can be the same at the Area Festival if there are a good number of schools performing. A copy of these rankings can be given to any school director upon request. No director, chaperone or student will be told their school s final rating before awards are announced at the end of the festival. AWARDS & SELECTION OF STATE FESTIV A L P LAY S At Area Festivals, schools will compete for the chance to perform at the WV State Thespian Festival. Only one-act plays or a cutting from a full-length play that conforms to the time limit will be chosen. Only one play per school is allowed to compete at Area Festival. The following table shows the number of plays to be chosen from an Area for the WV State Thespian Festival: (*subject to change if required based on numbers.) T o t a l n u m b e r o f s c h o o l s t h a t ent e r a s how a t A r e a F e s t i v a l (i n c l u d i n g M i d d l e S c h o o l s) N u m b e r o f H i g h S c h o o l s t h a t w i l l b e in v it e d t o r e p r e s e n t t h e A r e a a t t h e WV S t a t e T h e s p i a n F e s t i v a l N u m b e r o f A l t e r n a t e s (c a n i n c l u d e M i d d l e S c h o o l s ) 1 School represents area at state festival None Middle schools can participate at Area Festivals to receive a critique. It is understood that these students may be under the age of 15 but should be enrolled full time as students in their school. Middle Schools can also be considered for an Alternate Play or as a Wild Card to perform their show at the State Festival for exhibition only. When Middle Schools perform at the State Festival they will not be allowed to compete against high school entries. Middle School actors will not be considered for Outstanding Acting Awards, but they can earn All- Festival Cast Awards. The one-act festival judges from each area may recommend through written justification to the State Director that the Alternate Play or another play receive a Wild Card Slot to compete at the State Festival in order to fulfill the programming needs of the State Festival. Middle Schools can be selected as a Wild Card Play but can only participate within the given rules for Middle Schools. If a cancellation of a play occurs leaving a slot open at the State Festival, the slot will be offered to the Alternate from that Area. If the Alternate declines, the State Director can then offer the competitive slot to other plays from that Area in order of ranking. If no play from that Area is available, the competitive slot is to be filled by lottery from among all qualified Alternates. At the WV State Thespian Festival, five (5) O U T S T A N D I NG P ERF O R M A N C E A W A R D S will be given to High Schools. Other awards may be given at the discretion of the one-act adjudicators. Directors are strongly urged to attend the Awards Ceremony to receive these awards. page 12

13 In addition, the following performance awards will be presented at the WV State Thespian Festival: 32 A L L - F E S T I VAL C A S T A W A R D S (at least 1 actor from each play and the rest will be given at the judges discretion); B E S T A CTOR ; B E S T A CTR E S S ; B E S T S U P P O R T I N G A CTOR ; A N D B E S T S U P P O R T I N G A CTR E S S. ENT RY F O RMS AND REGIS T RATI O N Schools that earn the privilege to perform at the WV State Thespian Festival must or mail a S T A T E P L A Y E N T R Y F O R M to the Chapter Director by the deadline indicated on the form. Failure to do so may result in forfeiting the performance slot to an alternate. Duplication of one-act shows is acceptable. (i.e. more than one school can perform the same play) Each school entering a play is responsible for payment of royalty fees direct to the publisher. A play may not be performed unless rights are secured. Directors are to forward a proof of payment to the State Director as part of the registration materials. We s t V i r g i n i a I n d i v i d u a l E v e n t s ( WV I E s ) The WV State Thespian Festival is committed to giving additional opportunities for young theatre artists beyond the One-Act Play Festival. The Individual Events or IE's is the primary way for individual and small groups of high school students to perform at the state festival if their school is unable to bring a play. In each category of performance events, five (5) Outstanding Performance awards will be given. These events are geared to bring our state festival into alignment with The International Thespian Society s National Individual Events Showcase (NIES) at the Annual International Thespian Festival in Lincoln, Nebraska. They also allow WV students to go to the "next level" by giving quality adjudications for NIES qualification. If a student or group of students want to take their performance to the next level and perform at the International Thespian Festival, they MUST have a superior rating at the state level to qualify regardless of ranking. Please note that WV Thespians IE's does differ slightly from NIES. Please see the chart below: N E I S WV I E E q u i v a l e n t N o t e s Costume Construction Costume Construction Part of Tech Expo Costume Design Costume Renderings Part of Tech Expo Duet Acting Duo/Group Scene 2 actors only Duet Musical Theatre Duet Musical Theatre Group Scene Duo/Group Scene 3-16 actors Group Musical Theatre None Lighting Design Advanced Lighting Design Part of Tech Expo Monologues Monologue Scenic Design Advanced Set Design Part of Tech Expo Short Film Short Film Part of Tech Expo Solo Musical Theatre Solo Musical Theatre Sound Design Sound Design Part of Tech Expo Stage Management Stage Manager Theatre Marketing Advanced Publicity Project Part of Tech Expo page 13

14 Gen e r a l R ules 1. The Individual Performance Events offered at WV State Thespian Festival include Monologue, Solo Musical Theatre, Duet Musical Theatre, Duo Acting and Group Acting. Each school may enter two (2) entries in each category, with a total of two entries in Duo and Group Acting (i.e. two Duo Acting, two Group Acting, OR one of each). THESE EVENTS ARE NOT OFFERED AT AREA FESTIVALS. 2. An entrant is p e r m it t e d t o p a r t ic ip a t e in o n ly ON E in d iv id u a l per f or m anc e ev ent, but may also be in a Group Acting event if not in a Duo Acting Event. 3. An entry CANNOT be from a one-act play being performed in the state play festival. 4. Individual Events have strict time limits. After the introduction (slating), time begins with the first word, musical note or acting action (if it precedes the first word or note). If a student exceeds the time limit, the judge will notate the time on the form and a final eligibility ruling will be determined in the tabulation room. If the student exceeds the time limit by 30 seconds, the timekeeper must stop the performance. No warnings are required from the timekeeper. Time limits for performance events are as follows: monologues, 3 minutes all other performance events, 5 minutes 5. Entrants who qualify for Individual Events through participation in a Chapter Conference/Festival must present exactly the same work at both the chapter and national levels. Other qualifying entrants are expected to present the works listed on their registration. 6. Substitutions are not allowed. Entrants who qualified at a Chapter Conference/Festival and who are listed on the chapter qualifier form are the only ones qualified to perform at ITF. However, in the category of Group Acting, drops will be allowed, but no substitutions are permitted in any category. 7. Acceptable material: a. Non-musical NIEs performance events: 1. Selections from full-length or one-act plays and musicals, and published by: Broadway Play Publishing Inc Dramatic Publishing Dramatists Play Service Music Theatre International Playscripts, Inc. Rodgers & Hammerstein Theatricals Samuel French, Inc. Smith and Kraus Tams-Witmark The Musical Company Theatrefolk Theatrical Rights Worldwide YouthPLAYS Any public domain play written prior to The only D.M. Larson selection available for use in NIEs are from the plays listed below. All other D.M. Larson monologues will result in a disqualification. Beauty IS a Beast - ISBN-13: Big Nose - ISBN-13: Death of an Insurance Salesman - ISBN-13: Ebony Scrooge - ISBN-13: Flowers in the Desert - ISBN-13: Holka Polka! - ISBN-13: Operation Redneck - ISBN-13: Somebody Famous - ISBN-13: Superhero Support Group - ISBN-13: My William Shatner Man Crush - ISBN-13: To Be A Star - ISBN-13: page 14

15 3. Exceptions can be made for publishing companies not listed above (e.g., foreign publishing houses). Exceptions will need to be submitted nationally by April 1, Each chapter will have their own requirement for timing for their exceptions, but all exceptions will need to be approved by Deputy Executive Director, Doug Berlon. 4. The following are unacceptable material for non-musical NIEs performance events: Author-only permission. Any play (or monologue from a musical) not published by one of the publishers listed above or by a pre-approved publishing company. 5. The following are unacceptable resources for non-musical NIEs performance events: Use of set pieces, props, or costumes, including the use of hair, non-prescription glasses, earrings, or other personal items. b. Musical NIEs performance events: 1. Acceptable material: Songs from a musical that have been used in a musical (regardless of its previous publication as a classical or popular song e.g., Forever Plaid, Mamma Mia, etc.). It must be publicly available for sale in a vocal selection or musical score. There must be a copyright mark on the music. 2. The following are unacceptable material for musical NIEs performance events: Acappella songs UNLESS originally written to be performed a cappella in the script. Songs from films. Songs from television. Popular songs not used in a published work for the theatre. Classical songs not used in a published work for the theatre. Tracks with any background vocals 3. The following are unacceptable resources for musical NIEs performance events: Use of set pieces, props, or costumes, including the use of hair, non-prescription glasses, earrings, or other personal items. c. It s difficult to address every situation in this document, but fundamentally, the guide is that the piece must either have: 1. publisher permission (NOT author-only permission); or 2. available for sale in a libretto, play, vocal selection, or musical score. 8. Students may play a role of any gender regardless of the gender with which they identify. It is important to note that all copyright rules are to be enforced; for example, the student cannot change pronouns without the express, written consent from the publisher. 9. Disqualification. The Individual Event program is meant to challenge, inspire, and educate students. As you ll note throughout this document, there are very clear rules to ensure equity among all participants. Violations of these rules can lead to disqualification. a. Disqualification reasons can be noted by individual adjudicators. The judges should note the issue(s) under their printed name and signature. b. Regardless of individual disqualification reason(s), it is the responsibility of the tabulation room (or the Chapter Director) to rule on any disqualifications. c. Disqualifications at the State Thespian Festival will be ruled by the Chapter Director. 10. Filming : Individual Events may not be filmed for rebroadcast or other use without prior written approval by the Chapter Director. Evaluation forms are available to participants to help them understand adjudication criteria; the forms can be found on the WV Thespians website. There will be NO refund of registration fee, regardless of the reason for cancellation or disqualification. page 15

16 Spe c i f i c e v e n t r u l e s Ac t i n g M o n o l o g u e s The skills measured are: Use of transitions into and out of character Ability to create a believable character Communication of objective, tactics, and relationships Use of focus and concentration Integration of voice, body, movement, and staging. In a monologue performance the entrant must follow these guidelines: Begin with an introduction (slating). The introduction must include only: o The entrant s name o Troupe number (optional) o Title of both selections o Name of the playwright(s). Remain within strict time limits: o After the introduction (slating), time begins with the first word or acting action (if it pre cede s the first word). o Monologues are not to exceed three minutes. Appropriate material: o Prepare two selections. o Monologues should represent two contrasting selections (may be different in period, style, or mood). o Each selection should be approximately one and one-half minutes each. o Each selection should reflect an important moment in the play. o Only one character from each play may be portrayed in each selection. o Prior to the event, validate the material using the guidelines for acceptable and unacceptable material (found on page of this guide). Entrants will present themselves as a blank slate, refraining from clothing or accessories that distract from the character. Follow strict limits on clothing and props: o Props (including hand-held props), costumes, or theatrical makeup are not allowed. o One chair may be used. o Entrants must wear all black. o Entrants must wear all black shoes. o Clothing should be professional yet allow easy movement for the actor to accommodate the action of the performance. o Entrants should refrain from wearing anything that might distract the adjudicators. page 16

17 Ac t i n g Du o / Gr o u p Sc e n e A duo is defined as a performance for two players. A group scene is defined as a performance for three to sixteen players. In each case, every participant must be actively involved in the scene chosen for performance. In Acting Duo/Group Scene, the skills measured are: Use of transitions into and out of character Ability to create a believable character Communication of objective, tactics, and relationships Use of focus and concentration Integration of voice, body, movement, and staging. In a Duo/Group Scene performance the entrants must follow these guidelines: Begin with an introduction (slating). The introduction must include only: o The entrants names o Troupe number (optional) o Title of the selection o Name of the playwright(s). Remain within strict time limits: o After the introduction (slating), time begins with the first word or acting action (if it pre cedes the first word). o Duo/group scenes are not to exceed five minutes. Appropriate material: o Each participant must be actively involved in the scene. o Prior to the event, validate the material using the guidelines for acceptable and unacceptable material (found on page of this guide). Entrants will present themselves as a blank slate, refraining from clothing or accessories that distract from the character. Follow strict limits on clothing and props: o Props (including hand-held props), costumes, or theatrical makeup are not allowed. o For duo acting, two chairs may be used. o For group acting, one table and up to six chairs may be used. o Entrants must wear all black. o Entrants must wear all black shoes. o Clothing should be appropriate to the situation yet allow easy movement for the actors to accommodate the action of the performance. o Entrants should refrain from wearing anything that might distract the adjudicators. page 17

18 M u s i c a l T h e a t r e So l o Pe r f o r m a n c e In a musical theatre solo performance, the entrant must present one musical selection from a published script written for musical theatre. The judges will consider how well the piece is acted, not only how well it is sung. The selection may contain dialogue; however, this is primarily a sung and not spoken selection. In Musical Theatre Solo Performance, the skills measured are: Use of transitions into and out of character Ability to create a believable character Communication of objective, tactics, and relationships through dialogue and music Use of focus and concentration Vocal skill and technique Use of dance and movement Integration of voice, body, movement, and staging. In a Musical Theatre Solo Performance the entrant must follow these guidelines: Begin with an introduction (slating). The introduction (slating) must include only: o The entrant s name o Troupe number (optional) o Title of selection o Name of the composer and lyricist. Remain within strict time limits: o After the introduction (slating), time begins with the first word or acting action (if it precedes the first word). o Musical theatre solo performances are not to exceed five minutes. Appropriate material: o Prior to the event, validate the material using the guidelines for acceptable and unacceptable material (found on page 15 of this guide). Follow strict limits on musical accompaniment: o Performers MUST use pre-recorded, non-vocal musical accompaniment; no live music is permitted. o Accompanists are not permitted. o Acapella performances are not permitted. o At ITF, Bluetooth speakers will be provided to allow participants to play music in one of two ways: o Using Bluetooth-enabled mobile devices o Using a provided 1/8-inch audio connection cable. o CD players will no longer be available at the International Thespian Festival; however, participants may bring players for their pre-recorded, non-vocal musical accompaniment. o THE WV STATE FESTIVAL WILL SUPPLY A CD PLAYER. Entrants will present themselves as a blank slate, refraining from clothing or accessories that distract from the character. Follow strict limits on clothing and props: o Props (including hand-held props), costumes, or theatrical makeup are not allowed. o One chair may be used. o Entrants must wear all black. o Entrants must wear all black shoes. o Clothing should be professional yet allow easy movement for the actors to accommodate the action of the performance. o Entrants should refrain from wearing anything that might distract the adjudicators. page 18

19 M u s i c a l T h e a t r e Du e t Pe r f o r m a n c e In a musical theatre duet performance, the entrants must present one musical selection from a published script written for musical theatre. The judges will consider how well the piece is acted, not only how well it is sung. The selection may contain dialogue; however, this is primarily a sung and not spoken selection. A musical theatre duet is defined as a musical theatre performance for two players. Both participants must be actively involved in the scene chosen for performance. In Musical Theatre Duet Performance, the skills that measured are: Use of transitions into and out of character Ability to create a believable character Communication of objective, tactics, and relationships through dialogue and music Use of focus and concentration Vocal skill and technique Use of dance and movement Integration of voice, body, movement, and staging. In a Musical Theatre Duet Performance the entrants must follow these guidelines: Begin with an introduction (slating). The introduction must include only: o The entrants names o Troupe number (optional) o Title of selection o Name of the composer and lyricist. Remain within strict time limits: o After the introduction (slating), time begins with the first word or acting action (if it precedes the first word). o Musical theatre duet performances are not to exceed five minutes. Appropriate material: o Each participant must be actively involved in the performance. o Prior to the event, validate the material using the guidelines for acceptable and unacceptable material (found on page 15 of this guide). Follow strict limits on musical accompaniment: o Performers MUST use pre-recorded, non-vocal musical accompaniment; no live music is permitted. o Accompanists are not permitted. o A cappella performances are not permitted. o At ITF, Bluetooth speakers will be provided to allow participants to play music in one of two ways: o Using Bluetooth-enabled mobile devices o Using a provided 1/8-inch audio connection cable. o CD players will no longer be available at the International Thespian Festival; however, participants may bring players for their pre-recorded, non-vocal musical accompaniment. o THE WV STATE FESTIVAL WILL SUPPLY A CD PLAYER. Entrants will present themselves as a blank slate, refraining from clothing or accessories that distract from the character. Follow strict limits on clothing and props: o Props (including hand-held props), costumes, or theatrical makeup are not allowed. o For a duet musical theatre performance, two chairs may be used. o For a group musical theatre performance, one table and up to six chairs may be used. o Entrants must wear all black. o Entrants must wear all black shoes. o Clothing should be professional yet allow easy movement for the actors to accommodate the action of the performance. o Entrants should refrain from wearing anything that might distract the adjudicators. page 19

20 Playwriting This is a state-level event, requiring strict following of the specifications below. SCRIPT SPECIFICATIONS 1. The script must be the original work of one student. 2. The text must contain dialogue and have a minimum of two characters and a maximum of 8 characters. 3. Playing time must be a minimum of ten pages and a maximum of twenty pages. 4. Students are to submit only 4 copies of their script with the understanding that no scripts will be returned. 5. Scripts must be typed according to the West Virginia State Thespian Guidelines (see STANDARD ELEMENTS FOR STAGE PLAYS and the sample script below). All printed text must be in the TIMES NEW ROMAN FONT or ARIAL FONT at 12 pt. Both Left and Right Margins are to be set at 1.5 (inch and a half). Top and Bottom Margins are to be set at.75 (three quarters of an inch). 6. The script needs to be printed on normal, white 20lb typing, copy or printer paper. 7. The first page of the script will be the TITLE PAGE, and is to include: the title, playwright, grade level of student, sponsor, troupe number (if any), school address, and completion date. 8. The second page of the script will be the SYNOPSIS PAGE, and is to include: the title, character gender breakdown (male/female), and a forty to sixty-word summary of the play. 9. The third page of the script will be the CHARACTER PAGE, including an alphabetized list of characters. 10. The fourth and successive pages will be the TEXT PAGES of the script, and will include the title, page number, actual stage play dialogue and stage directions. This section must be no less than ten (10) nor more than (20) pages. 11. Format for text pages will follow West Virginia State Thespian Guidelines. See attachment: STANDARD ELEMENTS FOR STAGE PLAYS and attached examples. 12. Any script that is improperly formatted is in violation of the specified West Virginia State Thespian Guidelines and is subject to disqualification prior to adjudication. Any plays not disqualified will be penalized for each error. 13. Judges may make comments in the margins of the script, on the evaluation form and/or during the verbal adjudication. 14. The student may not submit a play more than once. In addition, if a play was submitted at the novice level, it may not be submitted later at the Advanced level. 15. The adjudicator will meet with the playwrights in a workshop at the beginning of the State Festival. All playwrights need to be in attendance at this workshop. 16. Scripts must be REC EI VED no later than Mo n d a y, Fe b r u a r y 19, Please allow ample time for shipping. 17. Ma i l s c r i p t s t o : D o n n a E a r l e y, A r t s l i n k C o o r d i n a t o r, A r t s L i n k, I n c., Ma i n S t r e e t, Ne w M a r t i n s v i l l e W V, page 20