We are so excited that you are joining our CYT Phoenix family in this awesome production adventure!

Our shows are a unique and exciting endeavor. We work together to create a professional production in just eight weeks. The show and rehearsal process are vital tools in our mission to develop character through training in the arts. Not only will your student learn to perform, but they will also learn who they are and their value as a member of the cast.

CYT Productions are fast-paced. We do an enormous amount in just a few weeks. There are loads of
details to manage, places to be, and responsibilities that all of us carry so that your student’s experience can be the best it can be. This manual has been designed to give you a clear picture of what to expect, what you and your student need to do and when, and how we all can work together for the best show possible.

Accepting a role in a CYT production is a significant commitment for the student and the family. Through this process, students and families learn the value of collaboration, responsibility, and hard work, while making friends and having fun. Parent commitment is a vital part of the CYT process. With fully committed students, parents, and the CYT Artistic Team working together, we will stage an amazing production.

Before your student auditions, review the production expectations. This is what you and your family are
committing to. Understanding this ahead of time will prepare you and your student to have the best possible CYT experience. More details on each of these elements can be found in later sections on this page. 

We have a page called the Parent Hub, which has all of the forms and resources you will need throughout the production season.

• 150% Effort and an A+ Attitude
• Attendance at Auditions and Callbacks.
• Attendance at all rehearsals, unless indicated on the schedule commitment page.
• Attendance at all performances.
• Memorizing all lines, songs and dances.
• Being responsive to and respectful of our directors and staff.
• Completing all responsibilities before leaving a rehearsal or performance.

• Be engaged and involved in our production's needs. 
• Attendance at the mandatory parent meetings, which is in the first week of  rehearsal and the week before tech rehearsal.
• Participation in Load-In (when we move into the performance venue) and Strike (when we move out of the performance venue.)
• Provide or purchase snacks, lunch, and water for your student (as needed) at all rehearsals.

Note: These costs are PER STUDENT / PER PRODUCTION unless indicated. Students MUST be enrolled in one (1) CYT Phoenix class in the current session in order to audition for a show. See our classes page for tuition costs.

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• $280 Production Fee (which includes meals on 2 show days) 
• Selling 10 tickets to the production, 
• Purchasing & equipping a Show Box. (Many supplies carry over from show to show.) 
• Purchasing a Stage Make-up (foundation, mascara, eyeliner, setting powder, blush). (Can be used for multiple shows.)
• Shoes depending on requirements. ($25-40, may carry over from show to show.)
• Modesty wear- typically tank top and bike shorts for under your costume.
• Optional items: Congratulatory Ads, Show Bears, Digital Photos & Show Video, etc. 

Production Fees are one of the five sources of income that support each production. The others are ticket sales, concessions, special activities & program advertisements. Production Fees are the seed money to get the production rolling.

Production fees are paid online, using your CYT account. 

The Production Fee is a one-time fee per student of $270.00. This can be made in two payments, the first of which is due by the first parent meeting.

Cast members are also expected to assist with ticket sales by selling 10 tickets per cast member.

We have tried to incorporate as many expenses into the fee as possible in order to cut down on other requests for money during the production process.

While we think the Production Fee is a great value, we understand that it can be a daunting amount, especially for families that have multiple children in the production. If you need to make special arrangements, please speak with the Managing Director, Haley Conte, haley@cytphoenix.org

Each production area is led by a Production Chair Parent. This is usually an experienced parent who has worked in this area before. The Production team member’s responsibility is to lead their production area in completing tasks for the show. They give you what you need when you volunteer.

Each production area works at different times. Some opportunities, like the Show Program, do their work early in the session. Other opportunities, like sets and costumes, are mostly done before the show begins. Some opportunities do most of their work during the performances. 

CYT Production Areas
1. Backstage Set Crew
2. Backstage Sound Crew
3. Costuming
4. Deck Management
5. Front of House
6. Rehearsal Parents
7. Green Room Parents
8. Hair and Makeup Crew
9. Lighting Crew
10. Light Board Op 
11. Spotlight Op 
12. Props Team 
13. Set Crew
 

Detailed Rehearsal Schedules will be posted on the show page after casting is complete for each show. We use the show page to communicate lots of important show details.  We do not send email updates, so make a habit to check the showpage on a regular basis! 

WHEN: Fridays, from 6:00pm-9:00pm, Saturdays from 12:00- 5:00pm and some Mondays 6:00pm-9:00pm for leads. We sell snacks but you can bring them too! 

All cast will not be called to every rehearsal. Detailed rehearsal schedules will be posted on the show callboard. See above for production schedules for each show. 

Our rehearsals are hard work and we accomplish a surprising amount. In order for this to work, we need everyone’s best attitude and effort. We have a few standards for behavior that help us get the most done together. Your student needs to be familiar with these standards. Please have your student read this section and the attendance policy that follows.

• Rehearsals are CLOSED. That means that parents, siblings or friends are not able to sit in on the rehearsals. We’ll provide a waiting area for you, if you need it. This allows the cast to give their full focus to the rehearsal process.
• Come ready to work hard, giving an A+ Attitude and A+ Effort. Learn to focus your energy to the task at hand for each rehearsal. Practice your material at home prior to rehearsal.
• We will start rehearsals on time. So our slogan is, “10 minutes early is ON TIME!” Arriving when we begin is considered late. We have limited rehearsal time and need to use it all effectively. Don’t be late.
• Don’t touch anybody else. Absolutely no rough housing. No PDA.
• No gum chewing.
• No cell phones on the rehearsal floor.
• Respect each other, your teachers, and the venue in your manners, words, and actions, in both your words and actions. Remember that you are here to serve your team members, to encourage each other, help each other and show Christ to each other.
• Rehearsal is not the time to share funny stories or your own observations. Do that on break or during the week. Rehearsal is the time to learn, and that starts with listening. Pay attention to your director, music director, choreographer and coaches.
• Respect our rehearsal venue. Do not move things unless asked to. Stay in the designated rehearsal area, no wandering outside the building.
• Never run unless it is required in a scene to do so.
• Pick up after yourself. Clean up what you use. 
• Wear appropriate clothing to rehearsals. Dance pants or sweats and approved dance shoes. Long hair needs to be pulled back in a ponytail and pinned away from the face.
• Don’t correct other people or tell them what to do or try to fix their behavior. When you are at rehearsal, you come to do your job as a part of the team. It is the directors and staff’s responsibility alone to run the rehearsal and correct behavior.
• Keep in mind that there will likely be times when your character has down-time during rehearsals. Sit quietly, working quietly on something you brought with you, or on your own show material. Be patient until you are called for. Don’t be disruptive or loud. Bring homework to work on, quiet activities to fill your time, or work on your lines and dance parts.
• Always give your best! It will be exactly what is needed. Our lives belong to The LORD, our show belongs to The LORD, and our talents belong to The LORD! Raise them up to Him!

Cast members are required to be present and on time for all rehearsals. Arrive 10 minutes early. Roll is taken at all rehearsals.

You will have the opportunity on your audition form to tell the Artistic Team about any
planned absences, such as scheduled family vacations. If you have any unexcused absences, you may be taken out of the scene being taught, and may possibly be removed from the production. Note: Coming late or taking a cast member out of rehearsal early is the same as an absence, and needs to be planned just like any other absence.

Cast attendance is mandatory for Tech Week, and all performances. Arrive 10 minutes early for all call times. If you have an emergency, and will be late or will miss a rehearsal or performance, you must email Stage management at stagemanager@cytphoenix.org  

Important Note: Regardless of reason, excused or unexcused, if a cast member misses rehearsal (or is late for rehearsal or leaves rehearsal early), unless it was previously stated AT AUDITIONS – there is a strong possibility that they will be cut from any scenes that were rehearsed that day. This is not a punishment; it is simply a natural consequence of the pace of our rehearsal schedule. New material is learned each week and then we move on. We don’t have the time to back up and re-teach material for cast members who were not present.

ILLNESS POLICY
In order to have productive rehearsals, each student needs to be well enough to fully participate. If your student is sick or contagious with fever, strep throat, conjunctivitis (Pink Eye), Chicken Pox, flu, rash or a cold with excessive sneezing or coughing, keep them home. Please make sure your student is free of contagious symptoms, including fever, for 24 hours before returning to rehearsals.

If your student needs to miss a rehearsal due to illness, they must email Stage Management the day prior, or as soon as possible, to be excused. If your student misses rehearsal more than 2 times due to illness, it will be evaluated by the artistic team whether they will need to be pulled from a the scene. This is not a punishment; it is the nature of the pace of our rehearsal schedule.

Cast families help support our production in two vital ways, promotion and securing sponsorship ads for the program.

PROMOTION
One of the most important things we do to support our students and the production is to get the word out. In order to fill the house and provide the best audience for our students, we encourage each family to help promote the production in the following ways:

CAST TICKET CONTEST
Each production session we hold a cast ticket contest to see which cast member can get the most people to come to the show. When tickets are bought via the CYT website, there is an option to attribute those tickets to a specific cast member. 

PROGRAM ADS
The bulk of our ad budget is made through ads sponsored by families & local businesses. These ads are secured by our cast families and program committee. Some families purchase ads for their own businesses, or arrange for their employer to sponsor an ad. Other families reach out into their personal network and invite other businesses they have a personal connection with to buy an add. Ad sizes, costs, and artwork specifications are listed online

TECH WEEK & PERFORMANCE LOCATION

Mesa Arts Center
1 E Main St
Mesa AZ 85201

SCHEDULE
See the production schedule and/or callboard for each individual show.

SHOW RUN REMINDERS

• Keep these important things in mind for each performance date.
• Always arrive 10 minutes prior to cast call. Do not be late.
• Have hair and makeup done ahead of time, whenever possible.
• Wear the right color shorts and tanks (modesty wear) for dressing in costumes
• Bring snacks. Make sure the food you bring is easy to eat creates no mess on your costumes.
• Bring water bottle. No fountain drinks or open cups.
• No chocolate or gum.
• No soda.
• All cast will participate in clean up duties after Meet & Greet at the close of each performance night.

BACKSTAGE ETIQUETTE

• If you can see the audience, they can see you. Stay way back in the wings.
• Quiet, quiet, quiet backstage. The audience can hear you.
• Be respectful of other cast & crew members and especially the stage manager and parent helpers
• Do not distract or play with other cast members.
• Keep your hands to yourself
• Do not touch any of the set pieces or props that are not for your use.
• No food, drink, or gum backstage.
• Leave your makeup alone once it is applied.
• Listen to crew members.
• Be aware of the crew when they are working; they have a job to do too!

Move-out day, or Strike, is immediately following our last show. Once the final curtain call is through, all cast members have 20 minutes to visit with friends and family and change out of costume. After that time, cast, crew, and parents will begin working on their Strike Assignments which will be posted around the backstage area.

Remember: This is an all-hands on deck moment. We need a parent from every family to pitch in and help. We have to strike the set and remove all of our equipment from the venue entirely by the end of closing night.

Areas that will be assigned include: greenroom, dressing rooms, stage sets, props, costumes, auditorium, lobbies and restrooms. Production areas will take primary responsibility for their areas. Other parents will receive assignments as we get closer to the day. We will be able to get through with strike very quickly as we all work together as a team.