one act guidelines
PA STATE THESPIAN CONFERENCE 2022-23
ONE ACT PRODUCTIONS
Please read through the following information. There are a number of items that you will want to be aware of as you plan your production to travel to PA Thespian Conference. We realize everyone has special circumstances, however, these rules/guidelines will be enforced and exceptions may not be possible. Always communicate with the conference host about any special needs and/or to confirm specifics within these guidelines.
- In order for a Troupe to be allowed to present a One Act or Main Stage show at the PA State Thespian Conference, a royalty payment must be paid (or waived).
One Acts have a $25 fee (included in the Registration).
Please submit the ROYALTY AFFIDAVIT FORM. This must be received no later than the Fall State Board meeting for you to be able to perform your show at the State Conference.
One Act's may provide a virtual program, but at least need to supply a virtual cast list.
The State Board does not feel that it is their function to act as a censor in determining what is or what is not appropriate to perform at the State Conference. We are aware that what is acceptable in one school district may be found totally inappropriate in another. Therefore, we ask that directors consider carefully the language and content of anything they plan to perform at the Conference, remembering that we are mainly composed of knowledgeable, but impressionable, students ages 13 and up, with a thirst for quality theatre. A troupe should not perform anything at conference that would not be acceptable on their own stage and that has not been performed before a home audience. In addition, where questionable language, action, or theme will be presented, a warning will be given with the program notes and play introduction.
The Board has instituted the following for Schools that present work that raises concerns....
Level 1) Written notice identifying discrepancies from your content statement and the response to performance.
Level 2) School and/or Director not allowed to perform for 4 years at conference.
Level 3) Troupe and/or Director not allowed to participate with the State Conference for 1 or 2 years.
- TIME – you have 45 minutes total – this includes your set up, performance and strike. The guidelines are a 10 minute set up, 30 minute performance, and a 5 minute strike. Bottom line, if you have reached 40 minutes into your time, we will flash the stage lights, and 2 minutes later (43 minutes into your time) we will black out the lights. If you are planning on a performance that will significantly use less than the 45 minute time slot, that is something we would like to know as well asap. PA Thespian Conference is a large endeavor and the schedule is tight. If someone were only to use 10-20 minutes of a 45 minute segment, that leaves us with a lot of dead time that we could possibly better schedule if we were to know in advance. On the other hand, we cannot afford to get behind if someone were to go over the scheduled time allotment.
- MOVE IN – You will be allowed to move into the backstage area 30-45 minutes before your scheduled beginning time. DO NOT mill around backstage and try to get extra time. DO NOT enter the backstage area until you have permission. Students MAY NOT enter the backstage area unless they are accompanied by their adult director/advisor.
North Penn High School:
- TECHNICAL – the One Act productions are about acting/performance – not technical theater. There is not time or resources to have very involved sets, lighting, or sound for your One Act. Less is more in this area. Any set pieces will have to be brought in about one hour before your performance in the designated areas for either the Auditorium or Audion at North Penn High School. You will be limited to space in a hallway. Some pieces may be available from the host school – it is your responsibility to contact the Conference host at least 1 month in advance to inquire about the possibility of borrowing any set pieces from the host school.
- LIGHTNG – Lighting is pretty much set and you will need to use what is provided. There will be area lighting available – DR, DC, DL, UR, UC, and UL. The light board is operated from a booth in both the Audion and Auditorium at North Penn High School. You may have your own light board operator, or use the conference tech staff. Your stage manager should be prepared to call any cues if using the conference tech staff. There are headsets backstage left, backstage right, and in the booth.
One Acts scheduled in the Audion will be limited in lighting, sound, and communication options.
- COMMUNICATION – There is no communication system in the Audion at North Penn High School. Two 2-way radios will be available for communication. The Auditorium at North Penn High School has communication with the booth and backstage.
- SOUND – There will be no Wireless Mics available for One Act productions. The PA Thespian Conference will supply floor mics, sound system, computer for sound cues (Itunes), and digital CD player for the Auditorium at North Penn. If you want to bring your own wireless system, contact the Conference host at least a month in advance to begin discussing that possibility, however, due to your limited time, wireless mics are not really feasible.
One Acts scheduled in the Audion will have CD or digital player options, but no microphones.
- DRESSING ROOM – Groups will be using the same dressing room spaces, rotating immediately after each other. You are responsible for cleaning up the dressing room area when you leave (which should be right after your production). For the Audion at North Penn, you will use bathrooms in a hallway in fairly close proximity to the playing area. For the Auditorium at North Penn, you will use the dressing rooms behind the playing space. Coat racks will be available to roll your costumes from your truck to the dressing room areas.
- RESPONDERS – you will be responded to following your performance (you will be instructed where that area will be). The director, cast and crew should report to the area as soon as your One Act is struck (which would normally take about 5 minutes). Since the next school is waiting to move into the dressing room, we ask that you strike your set and clear out of the dressing room before meeting with the responders.
North Penn High School Audion Map
ONE ACT PRODUCTIONS
Please read through the following information. There are a number of items that you will want to be aware of as you plan your production to travel to PA Thespian Conference. We realize everyone has special circumstances, however, these rules/guidelines will be enforced and exceptions may not be possible. Always communicate with the conference host about any special needs and/or to confirm specifics within these guidelines.
- In order for a Troupe to be allowed to present a One Act or Main Stage show at the PA State Thespian Conference, a royalty payment must be paid (or waived).
One Acts have a $25 fee (included in the Registration).
Please submit the ROYALTY AFFIDAVIT FORM. This must be received no later than the Fall State Board meeting for you to be able to perform your show at the State Conference.
One Act's may provide a virtual program, but at least need to supply a virtual cast list.
The State Board does not feel that it is their function to act as a censor in determining what is or what is not appropriate to perform at the State Conference. We are aware that what is acceptable in one school district may be found totally inappropriate in another. Therefore, we ask that directors consider carefully the language and content of anything they plan to perform at the Conference, remembering that we are mainly composed of knowledgeable, but impressionable, students ages 13 and up, with a thirst for quality theatre. A troupe should not perform anything at conference that would not be acceptable on their own stage and that has not been performed before a home audience. In addition, where questionable language, action, or theme will be presented, a warning will be given with the program notes and play introduction.
The Board has instituted the following for Schools that present work that raises concerns....
Level 1) Written notice identifying discrepancies from your content statement and the response to performance.
Level 2) School and/or Director not allowed to perform for 4 years at conference.
Level 3) Troupe and/or Director not allowed to participate with the State Conference for 1 or 2 years.
- TIME – you have 45 minutes total – this includes your set up, performance and strike. The guidelines are a 10 minute set up, 30 minute performance, and a 5 minute strike. Bottom line, if you have reached 40 minutes into your time, we will flash the stage lights, and 2 minutes later (43 minutes into your time) we will black out the lights. If you are planning on a performance that will significantly use less than the 45 minute time slot, that is something we would like to know as well asap. PA Thespian Conference is a large endeavor and the schedule is tight. If someone were only to use 10-20 minutes of a 45 minute segment, that leaves us with a lot of dead time that we could possibly better schedule if we were to know in advance. On the other hand, we cannot afford to get behind if someone were to go over the scheduled time allotment.
- MOVE IN – You will be allowed to move into the backstage area 30-45 minutes before your scheduled beginning time. DO NOT mill around backstage and try to get extra time. DO NOT enter the backstage area until you have permission. Students MAY NOT enter the backstage area unless they are accompanied by their adult director/advisor.
North Penn High School:
- Audion: Move in will be from the front of the building and through a door in “J” Pod. There is hallway beside the Audon where you can wait for your time onstage.
- Auditorium: Move in will be from the back of the building and into the hallway with the Dressing rooms.
- TECHNICAL – the One Act productions are about acting/performance – not technical theater. There is not time or resources to have very involved sets, lighting, or sound for your One Act. Less is more in this area. Any set pieces will have to be brought in about one hour before your performance in the designated areas for either the Auditorium or Audion at North Penn High School. You will be limited to space in a hallway. Some pieces may be available from the host school – it is your responsibility to contact the Conference host at least 1 month in advance to inquire about the possibility of borrowing any set pieces from the host school.
- LIGHTNG – Lighting is pretty much set and you will need to use what is provided. There will be area lighting available – DR, DC, DL, UR, UC, and UL. The light board is operated from a booth in both the Audion and Auditorium at North Penn High School. You may have your own light board operator, or use the conference tech staff. Your stage manager should be prepared to call any cues if using the conference tech staff. There are headsets backstage left, backstage right, and in the booth.
One Acts scheduled in the Audion will be limited in lighting, sound, and communication options.
- COMMUNICATION – There is no communication system in the Audion at North Penn High School. Two 2-way radios will be available for communication. The Auditorium at North Penn High School has communication with the booth and backstage.
- SOUND – There will be no Wireless Mics available for One Act productions. The PA Thespian Conference will supply floor mics, sound system, computer for sound cues (Itunes), and digital CD player for the Auditorium at North Penn. If you want to bring your own wireless system, contact the Conference host at least a month in advance to begin discussing that possibility, however, due to your limited time, wireless mics are not really feasible.
One Acts scheduled in the Audion will have CD or digital player options, but no microphones.
- DRESSING ROOM – Groups will be using the same dressing room spaces, rotating immediately after each other. You are responsible for cleaning up the dressing room area when you leave (which should be right after your production). For the Audion at North Penn, you will use bathrooms in a hallway in fairly close proximity to the playing area. For the Auditorium at North Penn, you will use the dressing rooms behind the playing space. Coat racks will be available to roll your costumes from your truck to the dressing room areas.
- RESPONDERS – you will be responded to following your performance (you will be instructed where that area will be). The director, cast and crew should report to the area as soon as your One Act is struck (which would normally take about 5 minutes). Since the next school is waiting to move into the dressing room, we ask that you strike your set and clear out of the dressing room before meeting with the responders.
North Penn High School Audion Map
North Penn Auditorium
Revised 10/22