Family Production Center

Production Information

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.)

Welcome New First Act Families!

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!

Classes – Class enrollment is not required to audition for a show, but enrolling in a class will result in a lower production fee. Students who do not enroll in a class must enroll in the Production Opt-Out in order to audition for a show.
Auditions – you will fill out an Audition Form and then sign up for an audition time slot via Sign Up Genius
Callbacks – you may or may not get called back for more auditioning. Remember, many students will be cast in the show who don’t receive a callback!
Parent Meetings – held twice during the rehearsal process; required for all families. Important information about the show will be communicated here!
Rehearsals – Tuesday and Friday evenings and a couple of Saturdays up to the week of the show; sessions begin with 10 minutes of worship time – students may use this interlude for worship or quiet reflection in preparation for the rehearsal
Production Committees – family members will be assigned to a production committee that will require about 20 hours of pre show preparation and several show commitments
Costume Parade– a time for the Artistic Team to see cast members in full costume, hair & makeup
Performances – there are 6-7 performances (possibly one School Day Show)
Strike – after the last show, everybody cleans up, then there are awards and a Post-Show Celebration

Prior to auditions, parent/guardian must agree to the following:

If my student is cast in the production, I will ensure that they are present at every performance and at each rehearsal to which they are called.
If my student is sick, I will contact the Production Coordinator prior to the event they will miss.
If my student has three or more unexcused absences from rehearsal, they may be removed from the production.
Once my student has auditioned for a production, I will NOT be able to receive a refund for class tuition.
A $250 Production Fee will be assessed for my student, and I will ensure it is paid by the assigned deadline.
I will purchase required personal items such as tights, shoes, make-up, etc.
I will be present at both production meetings and will serve a minimum of 20 hours on a Production Committee.

Fun for the Whole Family

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!

First Act Production Committees

Backstage
Costumes
Green Room
House
Makeup
Opportunity Baskets
Production Support
Props
Marketing/Public Relations
Refreshments
Sets
Souvenirs
Tech

For a detailed description of each committee, be sure to check out our First Act Family Guide.

Show Policies and Procedures

Attendance Policy

Rehearsals & Performances

All cast members AND parents must review the show conflict form and sign off on it prior to auditioning.
An unexcused absence is defined as the following: any absence from a rehearsal not indicated on the conflict sheet at the time of auditions for any reason other than sickness or family emergency. Please note that absences communicated AFTER the cast list has been posted will be considered unexcused unless they are for sickness or family emergency.
All attendance issues, including when a student will miss rehearsal, is sick, or is running late, MUST be communicated to the Production Coordinator.
When a student has 2 unexcused absences, the directing team reserves the right to remove that student from a scene or song in the show.
When a student has 3 unexcused absences, they will be dropped from the show. Any appeals must be made to the Artistic Director.
Any student with 5 or more absences (~25% of the rehearsal process) listed on their conflict sheet will not be considered for a principal role in the show.
Tech Week Absences (starting on Move-in Sunday and continuing until the close of the show) are only allowed with approval from the Artistic Director.
If a student misses a performance, they will be immediately removed from the show and will not perform in the remainder of the production.

Illness

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.

Inclement Weather

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.

Choosing to Drop a Show Policy

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

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.

Special Arrangements

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.