Welcome to First Act Theatre Arts productions! We are so glad you’ve decided to join us! To make sure the students shine on stage, First Act needs your assistance! We hope you will enjoy making connections and being creative just like the students! Our Family Production Center provides you with all the necessary information to jump right in!
(If you are looking for information related to First Act Classes, please see the Classes tab.)
First Act productions involve a lot of exciting events. We’ve provided a cheat sheet below to help you through everything that will happen during the process to help you out during your first show with us! For more information, including detailed description of parent committees, please check out our First Act Family Guide!
First Act Theatre Arts is not just for students! Families are a large part of making our program successful, and family members have a great time getting to know one another and working toward a great show!
Not only are families integral in helping ensure students are present and prepared, but they are also a vital part of the production process. When a student is cast in a production, at least one adult family member must attend two Production Meetings and serve on a Production Committee. These production committees work alongside the Artistic Team, Production Coordinator, and First Act Office Staff to design and build the production’s costumes, sets, marketing materials, and more! Being part of a Production Committee is a great opportunity for fellowship and fun! Through production work, many of our First Act families make lifelong friendships!
In order to have productive rehearsals, each student needs to be well enough to fully participate. If your student is sick or contagious with fever, strep throat, Covid-19, conjunctivitis (Pink Eye), Chicken Pox, flu, rash or a cold with excessive sneezing or coughing, keep them home. Please make sure your student is free of contagious illness for 24 hours before returning to rehearsals.
If your student needs to miss a rehearsal due to illness, they must call the Production Coordinator the day prior, or as soon as possible, to be excused. If your student misses rehearsal more than two times due to illness, it will be evaluated by the artistic team whether they will need to be pulled from a scene. This is not a punishment; it is the nature of the pace of our rehearsal schedule.
In the event of inclement weather and/or poor road conditions, classes/rehearsals may be canceled for the safety of our students. Many times the weather may be dangerous in the mornings, but by class/rehearsal time, road conditions are fine. A decision will be made by 3 p.m. regarding any cancellation of evening activities. If class/rehearsal is canceled for any reason, an email will be sent to all participants. Updates can also be found on the First Act website: www.firstactkc.org, as well as on our Facebook, Instagram and Twitter pages. We always encourage checking our website first for the most up-to-date cancellation information.
It is the policy of First Act Theatre Arts that if an actor auditions for a show and is cast, they must accept the role they are given. If the actor chooses not to participate in the production following the cast list being posted, they may NOT audition for another show in the same session. That actor will also NOT be considered for a lead role in the next production they audition. In addition, this action may be considered in future casting decisions and any written references. Not only is dropping a show unprofessional, it is disrespectful to the directors, cast members, and above all to the craft of theatre itself.
Production Fees are one of the five sources of income that support each production. The others are ticket sales, concessions, special activities and advertisements. Production Fees are the seed money to get the production rolling. Production fees are paid online, using your First Act account.
The Production Fee is a one-time fee per student of $250. The Production Fee includes one (1) show shirt and two (2) tickets to the show, and a link to a professional shot and edited video copy of the performance. Cast members are also expected to assist with ticket sales by inviting classmates, teachers, family, and friends to purchase tickets. We have tried to incorporate as many expenses into the fee as possible in order to cut down on other requests for money during the production process.
While we think the Production Fee is a great value, we understand that it can be a daunting amount, especially for families that have multiple children in the production. We do not want to prohibit anyone from being part of a First Act production. If you would like to discuss special arrangements/payment plan options, please contact the First Act office at (913) 681-3318.
Learn. Create. Inspire. Believe.