Ten Commandments for working in theater:

 Dear students and parents of aspiring actors/actresses,

     Please, consider this carefully before you come to the theater. As I have oft' said, theater is about self discipline and teamwork. The following are absolute rules in theater. Without strict adherence to them the work becomes chaos/ a disaster. If you wish to "tread the boards" or work on crews these must be your rules of action. The "magic" cannot happen unless you can and will follow these rules every day.

Sincerely,

Mr. Sykes

The Ten Commandments for Student Actors:

I.             Thou shalt treat the director with respect and follow directions immediately, listen attentively and never talk when he/she is speaking. Remember theater is not a democracy. It is a dictatorship and the director has absolute power. There are no exceptions to this rule, ever.

II.         Thou shalt work to maintain a safe (mental and physical) atmosphere for everyone on the cast and crew. Everyone should feel accepted and safe from physical harm/bullying. Thou shalt keep all gossip, romance, personal problems out of the theater from the first rehearsal to the final curtain. There is no room for this in the theater. Save the "drama" for the stage.

III.       Thou shalt be a silent respectful audience when you are at rehearsals and not on stage. There is never an excuse to break this rule. Always maintain backstage/offstage silence (not quiet, silence!) from the first rehearsal to closing night.

IV.        Thou shalt think carefully and truthfully before you take a part/job/responsibility. Can/will you (in all honesty) fulfill all of your obligations no matter what (yes even illness) to the play/production to the best of your abilities. Will you unfailingly commit to this? Remember, this is a serious responsibility you are accepting. A lot of people will depend on you.

V.           Thou shalt hold for laughs! Plan and execute holds to allow the audience to participate (laugh) during comedic moments otherwise they will stop laughing. Hey, the audience paid to laugh. Give them their monies worth.

VI.        Thou shalt always do vocal warm-ups before you go onstage. Whenever you are onstage (even during rehearsals) thou shalt project, and enunciate your part clearly. Put all your effort into each and every reading.

VII.      Thou shalt stay in character whenever you do your part onstage from the first read through to the final performance

VIII.   Thou shalt always (every single time) be punctual and attentive at rehearsals, performances, cast calls, etc. If you can’t make the time commitment/can’t get there on time do not sign up/try out.

IX.        No one but the director will offer criticism of the performance. In theater it is never acceptable for actors to criticize, make suggestions or give unsolicited advice to another actor. If students have a problem with another actor or a suggestion for them, they should bring it to the director privately. Never backbite or gossip offstage!

X.           Thou shalt always give 100% of your focus, energy and effort from the first read through to the last curtain.

Remember, Until you have developed the maturity to follow and can accept these guidelines, you are not ready for the theater.