DEPARTMENT POLICIES

Unless otherwise informed by the instructor, the following policies and rules apply to all DTH courses.

SAFETY: STUDENT SAFETY IS THE FIRST PRIORITY
All students working tech in the scene shop and the theatres must wear proper clothing and appropriate protective gear (goggles, gloves, masks, etc.) and rubber-soled work boots.  NO SNEAKERS, SOFT OR OPEN SHOES ALLOWED.

TIME MANAGEMENT, CURRICULAR AND EXTRA-CURICULAR PRIORITIES 
The department produces six productions per year and 12-15 Senior Thesis Projects.  In addition, many classes call for rehearsal outside of class hours.  The college also offers a wide variety of clubs and other extra-curricular activities, such as Players Guild, Dance Ensemble and Minds in Motion. It is absolutely essential for students to set FIRST PRIORITY with the successful completion of course work and DTH production responsibilities (i.e. credit-bearing obligations).  Students will not be excused from class or DTH rehearsals to participate in extra-curricular events. Bring any potential scheduling conflict to the professor’s attention at the beginning of the semester or as soon as a conflict arises.  Choose your courses and activities carefully; prioritize your time and commitments.

Classroom Etiquette
The following is a general list of proper classroom etiquette.

- Be respectful of your professor and your fellow students by listening and contributing to the class in a productive manner.

• - Use respectful language at all times.
• - Make sure that any criticism is constructive and phrased appropriately.
• - Arrive on time.
• - Bring all of your books and materials.
• - Complete any homework and reading assignments and be prepared to reference that work in class.
• - Come in with an open mind about what you may be learning.

ATTENDANCE
Performance study depends on active participation and commitment; therefore, students are expected to attend all class meetings on time and be prepared to participate in all activities, including additional hours where required.  In the event of an unavoidable absence, the student is expected to notify the instructor in advance of the class.  Unless otherwise indicated by the instructor, the following policies apply: 

• For a course that meets twice a week, more than two unexcused absences will lower the grade. 

• For a course that meets once a week, more than one unexcused absence will lower the grade.

• Two latenesses are equivalent to one absence.  Repeated lateness disrupts the class and habitual latecomers may not be permitted into the class. 

• Well in advance of “tech week”, students involved in Dance & Theatre productions are required to arrange any necessary absences with instructors both in and out of the department. Policies for participation in productions are outlined in the Sample Production Agreement (pg. 20).  Students participating in departmental productions are required to submit all classroom assignments in a timely fashion.  This applies to all courses within and without the Dance & Theatre Department.

Majors are required to attend all department events, including Departmental meetings, productions, including plays, dance concerts, Major and Senior Thesis Projects, VISIONS Guest Artist Series and Special Events.

ATTENDANCE AT SCHEDULE DEPARTMENT MEETINGS IS MANDATORY FOR MAJORS AND IS INCLUDED IN DEGREE REQUIREMENTS AS A NON-CREDIT BEARING “COURSE” IN THE SAME CATEGORY AS STAGE CREW.

WRITTEN WORK: Work assigned in class is due on the date stated in class. Missing class on the due date DOES NOT confer an automatic extension. If you must miss class on a due date, arrange for one of your classmates brings your work to class or that you leave it in the DTH office before the class meeting time. If your work is late, the instructor may record a failing grade and IF your work is accepted after the due date, the grade will be averaged.

Review the handbook sections on title page format below. To be accepted, each written assignment must be accompanied by a title page with the information - title, name, date, phone/mail contact, etc.

SCHEDULING CONFLICTS:  IF scheduling conflicts arise – field trips, tech rehearsals, etc.- ask the professor who suggests or requires the conflict to communicate with the teacher or speak to Professors Posnick or Fitzgerald. Do not allow yourself to be put in the middle of such a conflict.

Be thorough and precise in filling out production conflict sheets for any and all events outside class.   Rehearsals may not be scheduled in conflict with a class. The call may not require a student to miss class or leave class early. Any modification of attendance requirements, such as the tech week exemption from evening classes, will be made by DTH only. If there’s a problem, the production director should communicate directly with the instructor.

REHEARSALS for Departmental productions may not exceed 18 hours per week, with the exception of Tech Week. 

Use of rehearsal time
The following is a list of pointers and techniques to help students when they are rehearsing on their own for a class or production project.

• Always be respectful of the others that you are working with.  This includes being on time and fully engaging in the rehearsal process.
• Keep the discussion to a minimum.  Analysis is important, but you should not let it keep you from getting on your feet and working through your ideas.  Many times when we are afraid of putting things into action we talk endlessly.  Performance is about doing and it is vital to use your rehearsal time doing instead of planning to do.
• Do not censor yourself or those in your group.  Every idea has potential.  Instead of convincing yourself that it won’t work, try it, explore, discover!
• Take a short time to warm-up.  Putting yourself into a state of readiness is always beneficial.
• Improvise the scene from time to time so that you can immerse yourself in the moment and see what you discover about the text.
• Play with as many different of achieving your objective as possible.  Try on different techniques, including ones that you may feel are completely contradictory.
• Play to the obvious as well as the opposite.  Playing opposites can open the scene up tremendously.  For example, you might be so overcome with emotion that you laugh instead of cry.  Experiment!
• Play the scene with no words.  Put everything into your physicality.  How can you convey what you want using only physical expression?
• Try out different ways to block the scene.  Don’t get stuck in the first thing that you do.
• Explore the uses of gesture to help achieve your objective.
• Find ways to overcome obstacles through both your vocal and physical action.
• Rehearse the scene beat by beat.  Look for how the scene changes direction from moment to moment.
• Debrief the work that you did during the rehearsal.  What discoveries did you make?  What worked and why?  What didn’t work and why?  What do you need to accomplish at the next rehearsal?

CLEANLINESS: ALL PERFORMANCE, REHEARSAL and SHOP SPACES including the Little Theatre, Kennedy Dance Studio, the EXperimental Theatre, scene and costume shops and classrooms, must be kept clean and orderly.  Leave workspaces as you wish to find them.  ABUSE OF OUR SPACES WILL LEAD TO LIMITED USE.   

UNLESS SPECIFIC PERMISSION IS GIVEN, FOOD AND DRINK (EXCEPT H20) ARE NOT ALLOWED IN THE LITTLE THEATRE, THE EX OR THE DANCE STUDIO.

HOUSE MANAGEMENT AND USHERING POLICIES

In order to receive a grade and full credit for the course, students in Creative Process are required to serve as ushers and/or front-of-house staff for one production during the semester

 The following standards apply to this service:

·        Students must arrive no later than 7 p.m. and report to the house manager.

·        Students must dress neatly in black.  Shirts must have sleeves. No Jeans.

·        Ushers must remain in the theatre after the performance in order to prepare the space for the next performer or assist with the strike.

Ushers are required to remain outside the theatre to attend to latecomers and thus may not be able to see the performance in its entirety.  Therefore, if you are required to see the production for your class, you will have to do so on a different night.  Feel free

 DTH CASTING GUIDELINES AND PROCEDURES

Our aim is to enhance and enrich the cultural life of the community; therefore, it is our intention that DTH productions reflect the diversity of the Manhattanville campus.

ALL members of the Manhattanville community, regardless of race, ethnicity or national origin, performance experience or major, are invited to audition for departmental productions. 

The Department of Dance & Theatre adheres to “non-traditional”, non-stereotypical casting policies.   When casting a play or choosing performers for a concert or production, the main criteria are:

·        The talents and abilities of those who audition in relation to the needs of the specific project

·        The willingness to take on challenging work and carry it through to completion

DTH casting procedures are designed to be fair and equitable, giving as many people as possible the opportunity to perform and allow upper classmen to fulfill their performance requirements.

CASTING and AUDITIONS: Casting is a complex and delicate aspect of the performance process.  When you audition, COME PREPARED, bring the very best you have to offer and it will be received fully by the directors and choreographers. 

Everyone is nervous during the audition process.  Singing, dancing, playing through the fear is the first challenge and an excellent measure of your commitment to the process and your own talents.  You are not competing against others, you are competing against fear -- and when you give your best, no matter the outcome, fear loses.

Directors and choreographers will not tell you during auditions or callbacks which role you are being considered for.  You may be asked to read many parts or only one, but casting is not complete until cast lists are posted after callbacks.  Even then, directors and choreographers may choose to recast in the early stages of rehearsals.

FRESHMEN: As a general rule, Freshmen are not cast in productions that perform in the fall of their first semester. The substantial demands of production, particularly in the area of time management, can potentially conflict with academic work and orientation to campus life.  Therefore, we follow this practice to help ensure the success of freshmen in this important transitional term.  On occasion, freshmen may be cast in productions that meet as a class in the fall and/or perform in the spring, such as the dance concert, musical or the Shakespeare production.

That said, freshmen are strongly encouraged to audition for all productions for two important reasons: to take a giant step through fear and to allow the faculty to meet you and observe the skills and talents you have brought with you.

ACCEPTING THE ROLE:  If you are cast in a production, initial your name on the cast list immediately to indicate your willingness to assume all responsibilities related to the production.  If for any reason you are unable to do so, contact the director/choreographer or the Directors of the Department immediately, so the role can be recast.

IMPORTANT:  You may not initial the cast list if you have another class that meets at the same time OR if the production will cause a credit overload and you do not have permission from the Dean of Studies.  

UPPER CLASSMEN:  DTH majors and minors are required to have production experience as part of the curriculum – three productions for majors, one for minors. For various reasons, it sometimes happens that upper classmen have not been able to fill this requirement.  If this is the case, see Prof. Posnick or Prof. Fitzgerald as soon as you are aware of this situation.  A variety of solutions are possible. DO NOT WAIT UNTIL YOUR SENIOR YEAR!

Finally, if you have a question, suggestion or complaint about casting, go directly to the Directors of the department. Do not be the source or the conveyor or rumors and do not have your parents contact the school.

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