2012 Festival Rules. Rules are subject to change without notice. Please check back regularly for updates.
Choice of Play, Rights and Rehearsal
Schools may select any type of play or musical; it may be a one-act play, a cutting from a full-length play (provided you have permission to make cuts), or an original piece. We encourage you to present a piece with a complete story, rather than one act of a play.
It is the participant’s responsibility to make arrangements with the author and/or publisher for the right to use the play they are performing and to pay any required royalties. Written proof of such permission must be provided if requested by NCTC. This rule also applies to music used within the production, cuttings made to the script, and use of source material for a new play based on an existing story. Neither NCTC nor the host site shall be held responsible for any unpaid royalties.
Participants may not rehearse a production on the host site stage, prior to the Festival. This statement does not apply to a host school performing at their own site, on their own stage.
Program Pages and Image Release Forms
Program: Teachers must email a one-page program to the Festival host. Should the production contain any themes, language, activities, or subject matters that are not appropriate for all ages, a notice to that effect must appear in the program. Be overly cautious here – include a warning for anything that might be construed as offensive. Program pages must be emailed to your host. Click here to download the program page template.
Image Release Forms: NCTC requires each participant (including crew members, directors, and teachers) to submit an Image Release Form. You may submit these to NCTC by mail (in one packet) or bring them with you to the Festival (and give them to an NCTC representative). Click here to download the image release form.
Show Posters
Though not required to do so, we encourage each school to bring a poster for their show. Posters may not exceed 22×28 inches in size. These do not need to be professionally printed, they can be hand drawn; creativity is encouraged. If you are presenting two plays, you may bring one poster for each play. At the Festival, the hosts will hang your posters in the lobby and Celebration Stars will be sold. Celebration Stars are $1.00 each and students, parents and other audience members may write well-wishes and congratulatory comments on them and stick them on your show poster. You’ll be able to take your poster and stars home at the end of the Festival. This is a fun way to celebrate each other and has no impact on judging.
Site Scheduling
Site schedules vary, and you should plan to attend the entire Festival, which may run from very early each morning until late evening.
Schools may make a request for performance day or time during registration. Special requests cannot be guaranteed. Please limit these requests; only list a request if you have a major conflict. All registrations and special requests are processed in the order in which they are received.
In the past, the schedule allowed just 15 minutes after the performance time for a break and adjudication. In 2013, there will be a 30 minute break to give schools the opportunity to see all plays, in order to participate in Cast Your Vote.
At the Festival – Prior to Performance
Load-In and Load-Out: Your host will provide a schedule with your load-in time. Your set must arrive during this time, with enough students/parents to load it in. If you do not have your set onsite during your load-in time, you will not be permitted to use it. Load-in is typically at the beginning of the day and at the mid-day break. Load-out will be immediately after your performance or after a block of shows, depending on your site.
Technical Meeting: At least one representative (but preferably your entire cast and crew) from your production is required to attend a technical meeting at the beginning of the day (or as otherwise noted in the Festival schedule). This meeting is led by the host and NCTC representative, and it contains important information, an opportunity to obtain rules clarifications and the only opportunity your students will have to walk the stage and see the lighting areas prior to your performance. If a show is not represented at a meeting prior to its scheduled performance, it may be disqualified.
Dressing Rooms: Your host site will assign a liaison to escort your group to your dressing room and backstage. Schools will have access to their dressing room 45 minutes prior to their performance, though we recommend that you watch the show prior to yours, leave before that show’s adjudication begins, and use the 30 minute break to dress and prepare.
Performance Guidelines
Only students may perform in the production and serve as crew (including calling cues in the sound/light booth).
Backstage: 10 minutes prior to your show, your group will be escorted backstage and may move items out of your storage space to prepare for your performance (space permitting). You may not cross the start line until your production time starts. Teachers and technical directors may assist backstage, but may not cross the start/finish line. Most teachers watch from the house. Teachers and directors may never cross the start/finish line, except in the case of a safety emergency. Set-up and strike are the sole responsibility of each participant.
Time: Shows may not run longer than 45 minutes. All students and set pieces must be in the area behind the starting/finish line(s) designated by the host site until time begins, and return to that area before timing will stop. Only the stage manager’s stopwatch provides the official running time. The 45 minute period includes the time for setting up the stage, performing the play, and clearing the stage.
Light and Sound: Only the host site’s crew may run sound/light equipment provided by the host site, but you should provide students to call cues. Student crew members may enter the booth no earlier than 10 minutes before their show’s start time. Lighting and sound checks may be conducted during this time. Non-students may enter the booth prior to the show, to answer student questions, but must exit the booth prior to the show beginning.
Musical Productions: A non-student musical accompanist may be used, but they cannot be onstage (the pit, a wing, or backstage is acceptable). Host sites may provide (but are not required to) a piano or keyboard.
Orchestra and Projector Set-Up: Major musical pieces such as keyboards and drums may be set-up and tested in the 10 minutes prior to the performance. Projectors may also be set-up and tested during this time. Once they are set, performers/operators must join the cast behind the start line and then move into place once time begins. All equipment must be moved behind the finish line in the 45 minute performance period, before time is stopped.
Entrances from the House: If performers are making entrances from the house at the beginning of the play, they should allow plenty of time to start backstage and make their way to the back of the house. If there is no direct or safe path to the back of the house, performers may be permitted to stand at the back of the house prior to time starting. This decision will be made by the NCTC representative onsite.
No live animals may be used in your production.
Video and Photography
Shooting video of your productions is strictly prohibited. Each school will be permitted to designate one person (can be a parent, student, anyone) to take photographs of their production. The photographer must report to the NCTC representative in the theatre before the show. They will be limited to shooting in an area, as directed by the NCTC representative, so as to not distract audience members and adjudicators. No flash may be used. No other audience members may take photographs or use a mobile device during performances. Please inform parents and students of these policies.
Technical Guidelines
The following guidelines apply to all sites. More site-specific info can be found on the individual site pages.
Lighting and Sound: Please see the sites pages for details. You are required to submit light and sound cue sheets to your host. We recommend that you keep lighting and sound as simple as possible, with minimal cues. It is perfectly acceptable for your show to have light cues at the beginning and end only, with actor executed sound cues. For safety reasons, all major scenery moves must be made in low lighting (not in a blackout) and your lighting cues should be written accordingly.
Backstage Storage: All scenery, props and costumes must fit into the backstage space provided by the host site. Regardless of the size of storage at the regional level, the state site will provide a 10×10 space. Your scenery, props and costumes (with the exception of those worn at the top of the show) must be loaded in to your backstage storage space, as directed by your host site, during your load-in time. No additional props, costumes or scenery pieces may be loaded in prior to your show. Schools may stack scenery and props but this must be done in an incredibly safe manner. The NCTC representative onsite will be the judge of this and may ask that you remove pieces from your storage space (and therefore from your show) if your stacking does not appear to be safe.
Safety: No participants may move major scenery pieces while barefoot or wearing open-toed shoes. Students may not run with scenery pieces. Absolutely no fire, pyrotechnics, combustibles or other unreasonably dangerous matter may be brought into the host facility or used in the production. No real firearms may be used, and no blanks of any kind are permitted.
