Musical Theatre Classes

• STUDENTS ARE EXPECTED TO ATTEND, ARRIVE ON TIME, AND STAY UNTIL THE END OF EVERY REHEARSAL. Absences or late arrivals cause unacceptable impact to fellow students and may result in lines, songs, scenes, or roles being assigned to other students, and ineligibility for speaking roles in future productions. CAREFULLY REVIEW the full season schedule in the registration form before registering.

• Do not enroll in this program unless you are willing to prioritize PPAC rehearsals over ALL conflicts that arise with sports, extracurricular activities, and family plans that you did not disclose in the pre-casting Conflicts List.

• Absences, late arrival, or early departure are permissible only in the event of medical emergency. Students who miss rehearsals, arrive late, or leave early for any reason may have their lines, songs, scenes, or role(s) reassigned to other students.

• One pre-planned absence is permitted during the first 6 weeks of the season, and must be listed in the Conflicts List prior to casting.

• Students are expected to exhibit mature, respectful, and attentive behavior during rehearsals and performances. Adverse behavior may result in dismissal from the program without refund.

Musical theatre productions include both speaking roles and ensemble roles which may include non-speaking roles. All of these roles are of equal importance to any musical theatre production, as the ensemble often provides the most impactful musical and visual moments in the show.  Moreover, it is important that any student who is interested in participating in theatre experience all types of roles to develop their personal skills and value to future productions.  

Please explain the information above to your student and make sure that they understand that they may receive roles that have many spoken lines, few spoken lines, or no spoken lines, and that their role may include participation in the show's ensemble which includes singing, dancing, choreography, and other aspects of the production that may not be printed in their script book. Our directors work with each student to develop their fullest participation in the production.

Casting is based on an extensive evaluation process on the first rehearsal day in which each student is evaluated on their line reading, singing, acting, dancing, and both individually and working with other students.  If your student is disappointed with the role(s) they receive, please review the above information with them again, and reinforce the importance of bringing their full attention and efforts to the production regardless of the types of roles they receive.

• Assignments will be emailed by the director. Check your email after each class for the updated assignment.

• Memorization requires at-home practice with a reading partner. Please arrange time with your student every week to read their lines responsively and ensure their memorization.

• Memorization practice at home is essential to the flow of the production and because an actor cannot fully express their character until memorized.

• Students who are serious about developing their theatre skills should enroll in acting and/or voice lessons alongside their theatre productions. Please speak with your theater director or our school administration staff for information on private acting and voice lessons.