Student Productions

• Faculty will evaluate the application based on the following criteria:
• • Clear artistic vision
  • Feasibility of successful production with limited or NO resources
  • Appropriateness of play selection based on venue, casting, and staging demands
  • Academic and professional standing of the director/proposer
  • Outstanding commitments of the director/proposer to the Department of Theatre
  • Outstanding commitments of designers or other persons committed to the project
  • Proposer’s class level and academic status
• There are a maximum of FOUR student production slots available each academic year
• Student production slots will be filled based upon the merits of the application received, not availability of slots
• Student production dates will be announced at the beginning of each semester
• Applications submitted after the announced deadline will not be considered
• Applications for each semester will only be considered following the announced application deadline
• All Student Productions must have the approval of the Second Stage Committee
• All Student Productions require a THR faculty mentor. The proposer must invite the mentor to attend at least one rehearsal and they may attend rehearsal at any time they choose.
• To be eligible as proposer/director, you must be of at least Sophomore standing
• All members of the production must be registered Michigan State University students or employees. Exceptions to this rule may be made in consultation with your faculty mentor.
• Student productions can take any form, but are usually one-act plays, full-length plays, musicals, or dance showings
• There is a minimal budget available for your production.
• You are responsible for providing all crew members
• The Department of Theatre orders and pays for scripts and royalties. If you are producing a new work or work that is not copyrighted, funding will not be advanced in lieu of costs of scripts and royalties. Contact the Production Manager with the number of scripts required and number of performances.
• Tickets for all student productions will be set at $5.00 (negotiable based on royalty cost). All monies collected from this production will be returned to the Department of Theatre to cover the cost of scripts, royalties, etc. If submitting for a fundraising event – all THR expenses will be reimbursed first.
• There is a strict NO comp policy for these events. An admission fee will be charged to each person who attends the production.
• You must pick up the tickets, cashbox, and credit card machine from the main office. Procedure for ticket sales will be reviewed with you. Monies collected will be returned to main office following the performances with documentation of ticket sales made.
• On the Friday before your tech week, you will receive a set of production keys that must be returned by Monday following your final performance.
• You will have access to the theatre in which you are performing in from Sunday evening at 7:00PM of your performance week until the following Sunday at 7:00PM. This time includes spacing and technical rehearsals.
• Student production rehearsals will be given priority in the performance venue the week of performances (from Sunday to Sunday) only. Student production rehearsals must relinquish any rehearsals room should a Department of Theatre production need alternative spaces. The performance space must be reserved with the Production Manager on the production calendar. Student production rehearsals are encouraged to take place outside of the Auditorium Building.
• No scenery, costume, lighting, sound, or media support other than faculty approved supplies.
• Access to all shops and labs is only available during shop work times.
• All policies and procedures in the handbook must be followed. This will be provided if the production is accepted.
• A strike list will be created in conjunction with your faculty mentor. In addition to restoring the rep lighting and sound plot, the proposer is responsible that all items on strike list are complete. Check with your faculty mentor regarding painting the floor.
• The Department of Theatre will handle copying of any programs. The Department of Theatre is not responsible for any publicity costs for the production
• Your faculty mentor in conjunction with the Department of Theatre Chair may cancel your production at any time if you do not adhere to the above criteria, or the guidelines for acceptable behavior listed in the student handbook.

When encountering a problem during your production, please contact your faculty mentor for assistance.