Respondent Guidelines
Dear KCACTF Respondent,
The people-to-people task you have taken on constitutes the very
heart of our program. Responding is rewarding, time-consuming and
delicate. It takes tact, intelligence and a teacher’s heart
to do it well. Thanks for volunteering.
To the left, when you click on the Respondents link, you will see
a pull-down link to “Paperwork.” You will find there
all of the forms you will need to submit along with your written
production response in order to complete your task as a Festival
Respondent. The Region III Selection Committee meet in early December
of each year in order to choose the productions and scenes to be
viewed at the subsequent January festival, and to finalize schedules,
lists of students in all areas, and to conduct other business of
the region. It is imperative that all information on the current
calendar year’s productions be received prior to that meeting.
Send the written response, the cover sheet and the expense reimbursement
form to the production’s director. Send copies, along with
a copy of the program and the Certificate of Merit form to:
Sandi Zelinski , KCACTF Region III Co-Chair
Illinois State University
Theatre 5700
Normal, IL 61790-5700
(O)309-438-7093
(H)309-662-0068
skzieli@ilstu.edu
-or-
Tom Mitchell, Region III Co-Chair
University of Illinois
Dept. of Theatre,
4-122 Krannert Center for the Performing Arts,
500 S. Goodwin Ave.,
Urbana, IL 61801.
217-333-2892 (office)
217-333-2371 (dept. office)
217-244-1861 (fax)
tomitche@uiuc.edu
When she was regional chair, Carolyn Gillespie wrote some words
on the response process that are loaded with insight. Instead of
trying to revise her words, here they are again, with occasional
updating.
It's only fair!
As most of you know, it takes a village to insure that every production
entered in our region has a viable respondent. Once again, I ask
that your department supply as many respondent visits as you consume.
Respondents should have attended the Respondent Workshops at the
Regional Festival, or a similar workshop offered by the State Chair.
However, given the demand for respondents, occasionally an "untrained"
colleague is sent out. If you are interested in becoming a respondent,
contact your state chair:
Illinois: Kevin Trudeau (TrudeaKe@lewisu.edu)
Indiana: Elliot Wasserman (wasserma@usi.edu)
Michigan: Michelle Bombe (Bombe@hope.edu)
Ohio: Ansley Valentine (avalentine@wooster.edu)
Wisconsin, Meg Swanson
(margaret.l.swanson@uwrf.edu)
To tell the truth with tact....
A respondent's job is to respond to what he/she experienced in
the theatre at the time of the viewing, and to tell the truth
with tact. Each department develops a culture of criticism based
its philosophy of teaching. Some programs emphasize nurturing
and concentrate almost entirely upon positive feedback; others
take a tougher approach and consistently point out aspects of
the performance that are not working. - and some do this quite
bluntly. Most of us fall somewhere in the middle. Remember that
our effort must be to support what we must assume to be a good
faith effort on the part of the company. In the case of a faculty
directed production, the respondent must be careful not to undercut
a colleague's credibility with his/her students. With student
directed productions, we must take care to notice what has been
accomplished as well as areas which could benefit from further
exploration. In all cases, it is essential not to demoralize the
company.
What to do about a "bad" respondent?
Try as we might to avoid it, occasionally, a school reports an
unsatisfactory experience with a respondent. Sometime, this is
a clash of cultures of criticism, and even a "good"
respondent can have a bad night. If, however, you feel a respondent
to one of your associate productions should not be out on the
road, please contact your state chair to discuss the matter in
some detail. In the case of a participating production, please
talk to the regional chair. We can't address problems if we don't
know they exist.
Respondent Responsibilities
Before you go:
• Initiate contact with the director of the production
or the designated contact person
• Confirm the date and time of the performance with the
director in a timely fashion.
• Get clear travel directions to campus and to the theatre.
• Make arrangements for reimbursement of travel expenses.
The host school pays half; ACTF picks up the other half upon receipt
of your written report.
• The host school can expect to arrange and pay for lodging
if you need to spend the night.
• Many schools invite you to dinner beforehand, giving you
an opportunity to engage in collegial conversation.
• Determine the location, time and format of the oral response
session.
• Determine if there are student designers on the production
who wish to have their work considered for the design competitions.
You must, then, look at the work. Offer advice on presentation,
if asked. Be sure to check the appropriate spaces on the response
form.
• Get the info you need for the cover sheet: running time
(with intermission), capacity of house, etc.
• Collect two programs to send along with your written response
to the regional chair.
At the response session:
• Remind the company about the dates and location of the
Regional Festival, and encourage all to attend regardless of whether
or not their work is selected for presentation.
• Respect the work the company has done in your response
• DON'T - talk about how you directed or would have directed
the production
• DO - make the response session a conversation about the
work by asking and inviting questions, as well as articulating
your response
• Discuss the Irene Ryan nomination(s) with the director
of the production. The director may nominate one eligible individual.
The respondent may nominate up to one additional student for an
associate production, or two for a participating production if
they are truly exceptional. You are not obligated to nominate
any additional Ryan candidates. Last year, we had about 340 productions
entered in the Festival. Do the math!
• Determine if the school is willing to be considered for
the Evening of Scenes if you think the production would be of
interest to Festival-goers (associate entries only, please.)
After the response session:
• Write up your notes and send them off to the director
and to the Regional Chair ASAP.
• Consider nominations for Certificate of Merit and Evening
of Scenes and include them in your report to the regional chair.
• A thank you note to the host school is a nice courtesy.
Written Response
The response is to be written TO THE DIRECTOR of the production
in a timely manner. Failure to follow through on the written response
has caused considerable ill will in the Region in the past, and
I urge you to get this task done as soon as possible after your
visit while your impressions are still vivid - let’s say
two weeks.
Response cover sheet
The information on this sheet is essential in organizing the
Regional Festival and its attendant opportunities for students
and programs.
• Student designers
• Ryan nominees
• Evening of Scenes
Certificate of Merit Form
If there were truly exceptional elements in a production that
you think deserve recognition, please submit this form. A certificate
is presented for all programs and individuals nominated. In the
past, certificates have been given for extraordinary achievement
in design and technical areas, directing, stage management, dramaturgy
and playwriting.
Respondent’s Expense Reimbursement Form
When I receive this form along with a copy of your written response,
I will send you a check for 50% of the expenses incurred. The
other 50% is to be paid by the institution whose production you
viewed. It may be necessary for you to complete paperwork for
them at the time of your visit.
Guideline for the Written Critique:
• CHOICE OF PLAY: appropriate for the producing group?
Good material?
• OBSERVATIONS AND FEELINGS: As I entered the theatre, I
observed....I felt...I noticed...
• PRODUCTION ELEMENTS: Design/Technical Elements: Scenery,
Costumes, Lighting, Sound, Makeup, Props, Special Stuff, Scene
Changes...
• ACTING: Believability, Physical Work, Vocal Work (including
dialect), Ensemble Playing, Moment to moment playing, Clarity
of intention, beats, etc.
• DIRECTING: (This is tricky. Be tactful. You are talking
about a faculty member’s work in front of his/her students.)
Concept, Use of space, Inventiveness, Pacing, Consistency, Style
KCACTF Region III policy on reimbursements to respondents
Approved by KCACTF Region III Executive Committee April 2004
If a written response is not received within a reasonable time
following the production attended, the school is encouraged to
contact the respondent asking for the response. If the school
receives no communication or written response from the respondent,
the school should send that name and the show title and dates
to the regional chair.
Host schools are advised to reimburse respondents for their travel
to the school only after receiving a written response from that
respondent. The regional office sends no reimbursements unless
a written response is received.
If schools do not reimburse respondents after receipt of their
written response, the respondent should contact the regional chair
explaining the situation.. The regional chair will contact the
show’s director asking what happened to the reimbursement.
If the director does not respond in a specific timeframe, the
departmental chair will be informed, and the school's entered
shows will not receive respondents until the amount is reimbursed.
If the departmental chair does not arrange for the reimbursement,
the relevant institutional dean will be informed of the situation.
What to do about an "inhospitable" host?
Then, too, there is the occasional problem of the "bad"
host - one who offers a respondent little or no hospitality. Some
respondents have reported not even begin greeted at the site.
Again, let us know so we can address the problem. Host and respondent
should be in contact well before the date determined for the visit
to work out details of hospitality. You should receive an invitation
to a meal prior to the performance. Not only is a road-weary colleague
needing to eat, it provides a great opportunity for collegial
exchange and may help frame the oral response session. If a respondent
needs to stay overnight, it is the host school's obligation to
provide lodging, and a meal for the second day of the stay.
KCACTF Region III policy on reimbursements to respondents
Approved by KCACTF Region III Executive Committee April 2004
If a written response is not received within a reasonable
time following the production attended, the school is encouraged
to contact the respondent asking for the response. If the school
receives no communication or written response from the respondent,
the school should send that name and the show title and dates to
the regional chair.
Host schools are advised to reimburse respondents for their travel
to the school only after receiving a written response from that
respondent. The regional office sends no reimbursements unless
a written response is received.
If schools do not reimburse respondents after receipt of their
written response, the respondent should contact the regional chair
explaining the situation. The regional chair will contact the
show’s director asking what happened to the reimbursement.
If the director does not respond in a specific timeframe, the
departmental chair will be informed, and the school's entered
shows will not receive respondents until the amount is reimbursed.
If the departmental chair does not arrange for the reimbursement,
the relevant institutional dean will be informed of the situation.
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