CouncilRockHigh School South
Golden Wings Theatre Company
Handbook
Updated May 2009
Table of Contents
Golden Wings Theatre Company Executive Board………………………...2
What is the Golden Wings Theatre Company?...... 2
Why Should I Get Involved With Drama?...... 3
Membership/Production Schedule………………………………………….4
Past Years of GWTC……………………………………………………….5
Working on a Golden Wings Theatre Company Production...... 6-7
Technical Theatre with the Golden Wings Theatre Company...... 7-10
Earning Points for Awards and Recognition...... 12
Awards and Recognition……………………………………………………13
ITS/Ways to Earn Points/Production Points...... 14
Points You Can Earn……………………………………………………15-16
Non-Production Points...... 16
GWTC Constitution…………………………………………………….17-21
Council Rock South Co-Curricular Policy...... 22
“Speak the speech I pray you, as I pronounced it to you, trippingly on the tongue; but if you mouth it as many of your players do; I had as life the town-crier spoke my lines. Nor do not saw the air too much with your hand, thus, but use all gently; for in the very torrent, tempest, and as I may say, whirlwind of your passion, you must acquire and beget a temperance that may give it smoothness. O, it offends me to the soul to hear a robustious periwig-pated fellow tear a passion to tatters, to very rags, to split the ears of the groundlings, who for the most part are capable of nothing but inexplicable dumb-shows and noise. I would have such a fellow whipped for o’erdoing Termagant. It out-Herod’s Herod. Pray you avoid it.”
....“Be not too tame neither, but let your own discretion be your tutor. Suit the action to the word, the word to the action, with this special observance, that you o’erstep not the modesty of nature. For anything so o’erdone is from the purpose of playing, whose end, both at the first and now, was and is to hold as ‘twere the mirror up to nature; to show virtue her feature, scorn her own image, and the very age and body of the time his form and pressure. Now this overdone or come tardy off, though it makes the unskillful laugh, cannot but make the judicious grieve, the censure of the which one must in our allowance o’erweigh a whole theatre of others….”
Hamlet III:2 – William Shakespeare
Golden Wings Theatre Company
Executive Board Members
Theatre Director
Lori Steel Naglak
Associate Director/ Troupe Director of Troupe 6463 (ITS)
Sheryl Miller Hosey
Assistant Director
Teri Dougherty
What is the Golden Wings Theatre Company?
The Golden Wings Theatre Company (GWTC) is the drama organization of Council Rock High School South. GWTC is an off-shoot of Council Rock’s theatre club, Sock ‘N’ Buskin, which was founded in 1967 under the direction of Mr. David R. Harris. At that time, about thirty students with an intense interest and excitement about theatre began to produce plays at CRHS (now known as CRHS North). In 2002, when CouncilRockHigh School split (North and South), the Golden Wings Theatre Company was established at South.
Within GWTC we believe that the theatre provides a rich and rewarding experience for those students who are willing to dedicate themselves to it. The theatre will test the limits of the students’ abilities, not only as actors and technicians, but also as young adults who must commit themselves to a production and its cast and crew. It teaches important lessons about dedication, meeting deadlines, and working with others. It will also teach how to deal with disappointment and rejection since, realistically, not everyone can be on stage (and backstage) every time. It allows the students to go through fun-filled, exciting experiences together with their new theatre family. Some of the best memories and best friends each student will have from his/her high school experience will be from the Golden Wings Theatre Company. Theatre changes them!
All students at Council Rock High School South, grades 9 through 12, are eligible to participate in The Golden Wings Theatre Company activities and productions and are given EQUAL opportunity to be castor chosen to be a crew chief and for staff positions.
Why Should I Get Involved With Drama?
At the beginning of my senior year, high school sounded so unappealing that I stayed at my summer job until the last possible day, returning to my home town via an all night bus ride the first morning of school. I had little motivation to stay in school and no idea what I wanted to do afterward. Although my older brother and sister had been honor students, I had slowly sifted from the top of my class to the bottom third through the years, finding it much more rewarding to show off than to study.
Our school let those who did not plan on going to college substitute Drama or Spanish for English. Drama sounded easier, and I had always liked to show off, so I chose that. It was probably the single most important choice I ever made. I backed right into my career.
At first I like Drama because I could show off in front of class without a teacher getting mad at me, but I soon discovered many more important reasons to get involved. I not only found an area in which to excel, like athletics, music and industrial arts are, but I also found an area for self-expression unsurpassed by any other subject. As an actor, I could portray another person and find out what he was like. As I branched out into technical theatre, directing, and eventually writing, I found many of the same rewards of fulfillment and self-expression there.
One of the greatest joys of Drama is experiencing the cooperative effort that is necessary to make Drama work. It is not just a solitary endeavor like so many other subjects. It takes combined, different talents and efforts of many people to succeed. Of course, this can be hard. You must learn to work together, overlook each other’s weaknesses, and make the most of each other’s strengths.
I mentioned the fascinating experience of portraying a character. Remember the Indian motto that states: “If you want to understand someone else, walk a mile in his moccasins”? Creating characters, whether through writing or portraying them, helps you understand other people, their thoughts, needs and actions. Even if you disagree with them, you understand them better after your “walk.” Through fifteen years of teaching Drama, I have seen hundreds of young people discover the same thrill and fulfillment I did in this wonderful art. Most found it in acting, but for others it was in technical theatre, writing or directing. Many enjoyed several aspects of theatre.
Do you wonder what type of students excelled? Many of the Drama students who experienced fulfillment and success were already successful in school and other activities like music and athletics; many were drifting along like me, looking for a subject to call their own; and some were real lost souls. There are so many parts of Drama that anyone can find and area in which he or she can excel and find fulfillment.
Neil Johnson
Being a member of the Golden Wings Theatre Company
In order to become a “member” of The Golden Wings Theatre Company, a student must fill out a data form. The membership fee is $10 and includes 1 free ticket to a CRHSS show, reduced admission to CRHSN shows, workshops, trips, and voting privileges. Membership is open to any student in grades 9 – 12.
Although membership in the club is encouraged, it does not guarantee a member an acting role or technical position. All of the Golden Wings Theatre Company productions have open auditions and casting.
To be a member in good standing a member must also participate in the majority of club activities each year, including participating in at least one performance, special committee work (cleanups, fundraising, etc), Fall Festival, Activities Fair, etc. A member must also attend the majority of club meetings.
The International Thespian Society is an honor society for high school theatre students. The Golden Wings Theatre Company is a member in good standing of this organization. We are Troupe 6463. We participate in the Pennsylvania Thespian Conference and the International Thespian Conference, both of which are held annually.
Production Schedule
Main Stage Production – Each year, there will be a full-length fall show and a full length winter or spring show. Cast size varies with each play chosen. The type of show performed will vary from year-to-year. These plays range from contemporary comedies to period dramas.
One Act Plays – Occasionally, GWTC produces a one-act play. A one-act play may be showcased at the Pennsylvania State Thespian Conference or the International Convention in Lincoln, Nebraska.
Musical Theatre - Every year, it is the intent of the Golden Wings Theatre Company, together with the Music Department, to produce a full-stage musical. The show involves many students on stage – as many as 40 or 50 – and a large backstage crew. The show also involves student musicians in the pit orchestra. Scheduling of music and theatre events may prohibit us from producing a full-scale musical in any given year.
Cabaret Theatre – Occasionally, in the years that we do not produce a full scale musical, we may produce a cabaret or scaled-down musical production located either in the auditorium or in the cafeteria as part of a dinner or dessert theatre experience. This show will be produced either in the winter or spring.
Past Productions of Golden Wings Theatre Company
Below is a sample of the depth and breadth of style and substance of the typical GWTC season. Here is our history:
2002-2003
Barefoot in the Park
(Fall Comedy)
Hear, See, Speak
(Spring Musical)
2003-2004
The Hollow
(Fall Drama)
Bye, Bye Birdie
(Spring Musical)
2004-2005
The Diary of Anne Frank
(Fall Main Stage Drama,
*showcased at the PA Thespian Conference*)
Rumors
(Winter Comedy)
Clue: The Musical
(Spring Musical)
2005-2006
You Can’t Take It With You
(Fall Comedy)
Oklahoma!
(Spring Musical)
2006-2007
BrightonBeach Memoirs
(Fall Comedy)
Enchanted Sleeping Beauty
(Children’s Show)
Little Shop of Horrors
(Spring Musical)
2007-2008
Cinderella
(Children’s Show)
Alas! Alack! Zorro Is Back!
(Spring Musical)
2008-2009
Frankenstein: The Musical
Beauty and the Beast
Up the Down Staircase/This Is a Test
Working on a Golden Wings Theatre Company Production
Auditions - Auditions are announced for each production at monthly meetings, on the Golden Wings Theatre Company call board, during daily announcements, and on the Golden Wings Theatre Company Web site. Auditions are usually held over three days – two days of open auditions, after which a call-back list is posted, and a third day with only those actors on that list. We may add an additional day to the audition process based on the scale and size of the show. The call-back list is a way for the director to take another look at some of the actors and make final decisions; an actor who has already been chosen for a role may not appear on the list as that decision is already final. The day after call-back auditions are held, a cast list is posted along with an announcement of the first rehearsal.
Technical support staff and crew chiefs must apply for the positions in writing, at the time auditions are being held. These letters are simply a short essay by the applicant that explains which positions he or she is interested in and why. It is highly recommended that students do not limit their odds of getting a job by requesting only one position. These letters are turned in to the Theatre Director. When the cast list is posted, the announcement of all support staff and crew chiefs will also be posted. These individuals will meet weekly to attend to the business of technical support for the production.
Rehearsals – Rehearsals for productions are held each afternoon/evening, usually lasting two to three hours from 3:00 until 5 or 6 PM. Toward the end of the rehearsal period, one or two Saturday rehearsals will be scheduled. These rehearsals are generally 9:00 AM – 9:00 PM. Actors are expected to fulfill their commitment to the production by attending any and all rehearsals to which they are called. A rehearsal schedule will be handed out at the beginning of the rehearsal period so students can clear their schedules. It is very important that parents and students take their responsibilities seriously and place the commitment to the production high on their list of priorities.
Production Week – The week of the play’s performance dates is called “Production Week.” Performances are scheduled for Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evenings. A Saturday matinee may be added for full-scale musicals.
Production Week ends with the production and begins a week earlier with a Technical Rehearsal. Usually, the set has been constructed and erected a week or more before Production Week, and properties have been added about the same time. Sound and Lights are only added at the first official Technical Rehearsal. At this rehearsal, ALL technical crews and chiefs are present and the technical cues are rehearsed, followed by a rehearsal of the entire play.
Sometimes, the Technical Rehearsal is divided by acts. One act will be rehearsed on one day, the second on another day. These rehearsals are scheduled with no end time, as they can last longer than the usual two to three hour allotment. After the one or two days of Technical Rehearsals, Dress Rehearsals begin. These usually begin with a “dry” Dress. This is a run of the play with costumes but no hair and make-up. There might be one or two of these rehearsals before the “wet” dress, which will include hair and make-up. There may be one or two of these rehearsals.
For some productions there may be a school day devoted to presenting short scenes of the productions for the school in a series of assemblies held in the auditorium. This is known as Play Previews. This takes place the Tuesday or Wednesday of Production Week. All actors, staff, and crew are required to attend.
The Monday after the last production date, Strike Day is scheduled. All actors, support staff, and technical crews are required to attend this session during which the show and all its technical components are “struck.” The set is dismantled and stored; costumes and properties are removed for cleaning or storage, etc.
All actors, support staff, and technical crews are required to attend all of Production Week rehearsals and performances; there are NO exceptions! When you are considering working on a production, please be prepared to commit a great deal of time!
Technical Theatre with the Golden Wings Theatre Company
There are many ways a student can work in the theatre. Performance is only one of many jobs. The following describes the various technical theatre positions held by students on a Golden Wings Theatre Company production. Not every position is needed for every production.
Assistant Director or Producer – This individual assists the Director or Producer in whatever area is needed for the play being produced. Assistant Directors are often given blocking to do or coaching, depending on the level of experience of the individual. The Assistant Producer is often asked to conduct weekly crew chief/production meetings. The AD will be required to attend ALL rehearsals and may be asked to make announcements before each performance.
Dramaturg – A Dramaturg is responsible for supplying all historical and other reference materials for the Director. He/she provides notes on the production for the program. The Assistant Director often acts as the Dramaturg in addition to his or her other duties.
Stage Manager/Assistant Stage Manager – The Stage Manager conducts rehearsals and is in charge of all technical aspects of the production. He/she will compile a Production Book, draw up ground plans for the set, set the rehearsal space each day, and communicate all instructions to the cast, staff and crew. He/she is also the person who calls cues on headset during all technical and dress rehearsals and performances. There is only one Stage Manager. Depending on the needs of the production, there will be one, two, or three Assistant Stage Managers. These individuals will assist the SM in many areas and will be required to attend most rehearsals.
Lighting Tech/Light Crew – The Light Tech will be the individual in charge of “loading in” the lighting instruments for production – hanging, aiming, focusing, and gel-ing instruments BEFORE technical rehearsals, based on lighting schematics drawn up by the Technical Director and or lighting designer. The Light Tech may also be required to program the light board with cues. During the tech and dress rehearsals, as well as performances, the Light Tech runs the light board. The Tech’s crew helps hang, aim, gel, and focus the instruments. A crew member may also be asked to run a spotlight or some “specials” backstage.