STUDENT POLICIES
We are so excited to have your child/children here with us! Theatre is amazing! There is a place for everyone in the theater; the shy, outspoken, short, tall, old, young, you name it. There is nothing quite like watching a group of young artists come together to create magic on stage. No where else can you combine so much individuality and creativity into one big piece of art. Participating in theater will help children develop in so many ways.
Build Confidence
Develop Skills
Learn how to work with others
Use Creativity
Manage Responsibilities
Gain Independence
Express Dedication
Have Fun!
We have put some rules, guidelines, and procedures in place to help us to teach these lessons, to allow us to do our jobs to the best of our ability, and to benefit the quality of production.
Refunds: In the event your students needs to pull out of a production, we will offer a pro-rated credit towards a future production or class for fees paid in full. We cannot refund money for payments made for classes attended.
Please understand that most of the costs involved with doing a production are upfront costs to our organization. Even if a show is unable to be performed, directors have to be paid for the classes and rehearsals that have been held and licensing and costuming fees still have to be paid.
Email: If we send out an email, please read the email and it’s entirety. Also, please refer to emails and the website for answers before calling or emailing with questions to be sure the answer has already not been given.
Remind: There are times when we need to get a quick message to all of our families. For this purpose we will be using Remind. Please download the remind app on your cell phone. We will send out a notification when the show pages have been updated. Remind is also the main way that volunteer parents will be contacted.
Drop Off and Pick Up: Our studio is located in a busy shopping center with a busy parking lot. Please stress safety to your students when entering and exiting the building. Look for traffic. We prefer students to wait in the lobby after class until their ride arrives instead of waiting outside.
Absences and Rehearsal Attendance:
We strive to uphold a very high standard of quality at Firefly Theatrical, not only in our final productions, but in the overall experience each student has throughout the semester. Theater is a team unique team effort. In order to keep our standards high, we expect to have the entire cast at every rehearsal, dress and tech rehearsal, and show.
Valid Absences:
Severe illness that is accompanied by fever and is contagious.
School obligation that counts as a grade and occurs during our class hours. Schools do not always tell students if these extra obligations until the week of, but if you know in advance, please notify us immediately.
Even with only these two exceptions, we will still have many absences. Kids get sick and school comes first. We understand that the 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, a lot of new material is covered at each rehearsal. Absences, tardiness, and students leaving early affect the entire cast. We must be notified as far in advance as possible when conflict arises. When we know a student will be absent, tardy, or 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. Unfortunately, there is not time to go back and rework scenes and dance numbers with the entire cast to make up for one student’s absence. Students should ask dance captains, doubles, or stage managers for missed dances and blocking.
We will always be willing to work with a student who has an excused absence when possible. It is not feasible for us to spend 45 minutes of class reworking something for one person. If we are unable to 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 rest of the cast is not ideal.
Dress code:
Theater students should wear something comfortable to dance in such as a pair of leggings and a tee shirt or sweat pants. We would love each student to have a pair of black jazz shoes, but tennis shoes also work for rehearsals. Often times, the black jazz shoes will also be worn during the show. Please do not wear jewelry and make sure hair is pulled back out of the face.
Food:
Please do not bring food to the studio unless students have been 4 hours or longer.
Please be sure that your child eats a meal or snack before class. If students have a snack or meal break during rehearsal, please pack food that can be stored easily in a lunch box. No gum! It is dangerous to dance and sing with gum in your mouth.
Students need to bring a water bottle labeled with her name to class.
Donations of small water bottles are always appreciated and allow us to provide water when students forget their own. Water bottles left behind will be kept for a short time and then donated to Goodwill.
Lost and found:
We only keep lost and found items for one month and then we take them to Goodwill. Please do not bring valuable items to rehearsal as students often misplace or forget things and we don’t want anyone to lose something expensive.
Cell Phone Use:
We believe in the digital age it is more important than ever that students get a break from their devices. Use of electronic devices, iPads, smart phones, or laptops, is prohibited during class time with the exception of using them to record music or video blocking.
Shows/Tickets:
Tickets are sold online through the “Box Office” link. We encourage families to purchase tickets online as many of our shows will sell out. Tickets are $15 each for most shows. We will sell tickets at the door but not if we sell out online. The number of shows per cast will be determined by the number of enrollment.
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 have permission to record the show, we will arrange for a videographer to record the performances.
Photos:
We have been fortunate to have professional photographers who have volunteered their time to photograph our students. These photos are typically available for digital purchase. You will get information about your specific cast through your show page.
Volunteering:
There are many volunteer positions at Firefly Theatrical that need to be filled! We do not require volunteer hours but love and accept any help that we get from parents. We rely on volunteers and believe that our volunteers will shape the culture of Firefly Theatrics. A sign up will be sent out at the beginning of each semester for volunteers and we encourage you to get as involved as you are able! We will be looking for a cast mom for each cast and will also be arranging work days for specific projects. Please let us know about any skills you are willing to contribute.
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 students audition was and how they handle previous productions. We always have the best intentions for each individual child. Please trust your director. 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 on stage 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 that they are given!
Scripts and Memorization
Students will need to bring scripts and a pencil for every rehearsal! Actors 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 the script is left behind, they can share with a classmate. Sometimes we have extra scripts to borrow. If the script is lost, just email us and asked for a digital copy to print. Some scripts students will be allows to keep (jr shows) while other scripts are rented and must be returned (full length shows). Students must pay $50 for lost scripts due to Firefly losing its deposit with the licensing company.
Once cast, students are expected to memorize material as soon as possible. Some roles have large “line loads “and will require extensive outside study. This should be treated like homework. The general rule of theater 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 a student a warning (or two, or three) and likely sending an email home. We never want to take lines away from a child. This is the last resort option that we must take for the sake of the show and is something that would only occur in the last month of class while we are in run throughs.