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Frequently Asked Questions About Auditions and Productions
Are parents permitted to watch auditions?
No. Parents are not allowed to watch either initial auditions or callbacks.
If my child is cast, how much will this play cost me?
Each actor is asked to pay a one-time supplies fee of $50, which allows Bards to purchase costume materials, props and set pieces, as well as to pay the bills involved in use of the facilities at East Lake United Methodist Church. Bards provides all costumes and props. It is possible that you will need to purchase makeup or hair supplies for your child as performance draws close. In addition, in the event that the production experiences a shortfall in funding, we may ask children to participate in a fund-raiser.
Are scholarships available?
Yes. Bards does not believe that financial hardship should prevent ANY child from participating in theatre. If your child would like to participate and earns a role in the play, but financial circumstances would make the $50 fee prohibitive, simply write a short paragraph, addressed to Laura Coulter, explaining your need for scholarship funding. Scholarship recipients are always notified privately so actors never become aware which young people are acting on scholarship.
My child wants to audition for the play, but has no acting experience. Does this mean that s/he won't get a role?
Not at all! Bards productions have featured actors who have never been on stage before, along with actors who have been performing since they could speak. Previous acting experience has no bearing on whether or not your child will be cast.
When are rehearsals?
Rehearsals will be held one night during the week and on Saturdays. Which weeknight is used for rehearsals will be determined based on which weeknight is most convenient for the entire cast. Saturday commitments will be lengthier as the play draws nearer, but for the most part will last 3-4 hours each Saturday. As production dates draw closer, it may be necessary to add rehearsals in order to make certain that the cast is fully prepared for production. Bards reserves the right to add rehearsals at directorial discretion.
Are parents permitted to watch rehearsals?
No. Parents will sign their children into rehearsal and then are asked to wait elsewhere until rehearsal is concluded. There are many areas in East Lake United Methodist Church in which parents would be comfortable waiting, or parents are welcome to leave and come back. If your child is not able to function in a rehearsal setting without a parent present, Bards believes that your child is not ready to be on stage.
Does Bards of Birmingham have a behavior policy?
Yes. All parents and/or guardians will be required to attend a mandatory meeting prior to the first rehearsal at which this policy will be explained in detail. In essentials, Bards has a zero-tolerance policy toward physical violence; one act of physcial violence will result in a child being asked to leave the play. Our behavior policy also includes expectations in terms of attitude; respect for the director, stage manager, and other members of the cast is both expected and required. Name-calling, mockery of others, temper tantrums, disrespect for adults in authority, and unwillingness to pitch in when additional work is required are all reasons why a child might be ask to leave the play.
Does Bards of Birmingham have an attendance policy?
Yes. Three missed rehearsals will generally result in a child being dropped from the cast. (There are some very exceptional situations in which this might not be the case, based on directorial discretion.) One or more missed rehearsals might result in some of your child's lines being assigned to another actor in attendance at the relevant rehearsal. Although Bards understands that your family has a life outside of theatre and that 100% attendance at rehearsals is unlikely, it is impossible for us to prepare for a production unless actors are in attendance as much as possible. For this reason, actors and their families are asked to keep absences to a minimum, to inform the director, assistant director or stage manager when they will need to be absent, and to understand that absences will have consequences up to and including expulsion.
Contact the Bards of Birmingham at thebardsofbirmingham@gmail.com for further information.
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