MIddle School Play Festival

By Wednesday, February 19, you must submit the following:

• Payment (submitted to NCTC)
• Program Pages (template) (submitted to NCTC)
• Light Cue Sheets (on regional site pages) (submitted to your host via email) 
• All Parent Permission Forms 
• Demographics Form (see Representation below) 
• Design and Production Nomination Forms (submitted online) – optional

Schools may select any type of play or musical; it may be a one-act play, a cutting from a full-length play (provided you have permission to make cuts), or an original piece. We encourage you to present a piece with a complete story, rather than one act of a full-length play or a series of scenes. NCTC does not have rules regarding adult content, but we encourage you to select age-appropriate works so that your fellow educators would not need to get parental consent for their students to watch your play. See content warning requirements below (“Program Pages”). If you have not made your play choice before registering, you may register a TBD title. To update your choice or make a title change, simply include your new play title on your program page, which you will submit by the announced deadline.

Your school may register 1 or 2 shows for the Festival. Both shows must be registered at the same time and if you choose to present 2 productions, both of your shows will be assigned to the same Festival. 

It is the participant’s responsibility to make arrangements with the author and/or publisher for the right to use the play they are performing and to pay any required royalties. Written proof of such permission must be provided if requested by NCTC. This rule also applies to music used within the production, cuttings made to the script, and use of source material for a new play based on an existing story. Neither NCTC nor the host site shall be held responsible for any unpaid royalties.

Participants may not rehearse a production on the host site stage, prior to the Festival. 

Load-In and Load-Out: Your set must arrive during your scheduled load-in time, with enough students/chaperones to load it in. If you do not have your set onsite during your load-in time, you will not be permitted to use it. Each school will have a maximum of 10 minutes to load-in their set and clear the loading area for the next school. Load-in is typically at the beginning of the day and at the mid-day break, please see your site schedule. Load-out will take typically take place immediately after your performance.

Technical Meeting: At least one representative (but preferably your entire cast and crew) from your production is required to attend a technical meeting, as noted in the Festival schedule. This meeting is led by the host and NCTC representative, and it contains important safety information, an opportunity to obtain rules clarifications, and the only opportunity your students will have to walk the stage, hear sound samples, and see the lighting areas prior to your performance. If a show is not represented at their required meeting, it may be disqualified.

Dressing Rooms: Your host site will assign a liaison to escort your group to your dressing room and backstage. Schools will have access to their dressing room 45 minutes prior to their performance, though we recommend that you watch the show prior to yours, leave before that show’s adjudication begins, and use the 20 minute break to dress and prepare.

Run of Show: Only students may perform in the production and serve as crew (including calling cues/executing tech). Once time begins, teachers may not have any role in the run of show.

Backstage: 10 minutes prior to your show, your group will be escorted backstage and may move items out of your storage space to prepare for your performance (space permitting). Students may not cross the start line until the production time starts, unless they are completing set-up of projectors or major musical instruments, as noted below. Most teachers watch from the house, but teachers are permitted to watch from backstage if they have safety concerns. Teachers may never cross the start/finish line, except in the case of a safety emergency, and may not participate in the run of the show. Set-up and strike are the sole responsibility of each participant.

Time: Shows may not run longer than 45 minutes. All students and set pieces must be in the area behind the start line until time begins, and must cross the finish line before timing will stop. Only the stage manager’s stopwatch provides the official running time. The 45 minute period includes the time for setting up the stage, performing the play, and clearing the stage.

Lighting: Please see your Festival site’s website page for lighting details. Only the host site’s crew may run the light board, but each production must designate at least one student to call cues. If spotlights are provided, the participating school must provide the students to run them. For safety reasons, all major scenery moves must be made in low lighting (not in a blackout). All sites will have a pre-show cue that is set 30 seconds before the start of your play. This cue will have full stage lighting at approximately 25% for safely moving major set pieces. If you want a blackout when time starts, you will need to indicate this on your cue sheet, which you will submit to your host by the February 28 deadline.

Sound: All Festival host sites provide a house sound system, soundboard, and auxiliary cable, for playback of digital sound files. CDs are no longer being used at any Festival locations. Please see your site’s website page for more details about sound options for your site. NCTC no longer requires teachers to submit sound cue sheets to their host, but you must indicate (on your light cue sheet) if your performance will have sound cues that will utilize the house sound system. You are responsible for bringing any adapters needed for your MP3 player, laptop, tablet or device. Participating students will run their own sound cues from their device. Files should be downloaded, do not plan to rely on WiFi signal. Host sites will provide a board operator to set master volume levels and assist with any troubleshooting related to the board and sound system.

Lights and Sound Testing: Student crew members may enter the booth no earlier than 10 minutes before their show’s start time. Lighting and sound checks may be conducted during this time. Teachers may also be in the booth during the 10 minute pre-show time, to answer student questions and make adjustments, but teachers must exit the booth prior to the show start time. Teachers are not permitted onstage during the 10 minute pre-show tech period. If a participating school is providing spotlights or an additional sound system (mics, amplifiers, etc.), these items may be set-up by students and tested in the 10 minutes prior to GO and can remain onstage (or in place) after testing. Smaller light and sound items can be tested in the 10 minutes before performance, but must be moved behind the start line prior to time beginning. If any equipment is positioned in the house, adequate tape must be used with cords (and provided by participant) to prevent trip hazards. All equipment must be moved behind the finish line in the 45 minute performance period, before time is stopped. 

We recommend that you keep lighting and sound as simple as possible, with minimal cues. It is perfectly acceptable for your show to have light cues at the beginning and end only. 

Musical Productions: Non-student musical accompanists may be used, but they cannot be onstage (the pit, a wing, or backstage is acceptable). Host sites may provide a piano or keyboard (but are not required to).

Orchestra and Projector Set-Up: Projectors and major musical instruments may be set-up onstage and tested in the 10 minutes prior to your performance. Projector screens and smaller instruments may be onstage for testing during the 10 minute pre-show time, but must be moved behind the start line prior to time beginning. Only projectors and major musical instruments may remain on stage after testing and prior to GO. Teachers are not permitted onstage during this set-up period. If any equipment is positioned in the house, adequate tape must be used with cords (and provided by participant) to prevent trip hazards. All equipment must be moved behind the finish line in the 45 minute performance period, before time is stopped. Hosts do not provide projectors or screens.

Curtains: In the event that a curtain is being used to delineate playing space, serving as a back wall, this curtain may not be used or opened for any reason during the performance time. If a site requires load-in or load-out through this curtain, it may be used at the beginning and end of show only. During the run of the show, no people, props, costumes, sets, etc. may enter or exit via this curtain. No projectors may be placed behind the curtain and the curtain may not be draped around a projector or any set pieces. The curtain must be treated as a wall. Host site curtains may not be used or moved during the Festival to change the look or size of the playing space. 

Backstage Storage: Your scenery, props and costumes (with the exception of those worn at the top of the show) must be loaded in to your designated backstage storage space, during your load-in time. No additional props, costumes or scenery pieces may be loaded-in prior to your show. Schools may stack scenery and props but this must be done in an incredibly safe manner. The NCTC representative onsite will be the judge of this and may ask that you remove pieces from your storage space (and therefore from your show) if stacking does not appear to be safe.

General Safety: No participants may move major scenery pieces while barefoot or wearing open-toed shoes. Students may not run with scenery pieces. Absolutely no fire, flame, smoke, fog, haze, dry ice, pyrotechnics, smoking, electronic cigarettes, vaping, combustibles or other unreasonably dangerous matter may be brought into the host facility or used in the production. No real firearms may be used, and no blanks of any kind are permitted.

Come prepared to discuss and adapt any practical effects that may require extra clean-up or cause safety concerns to the actors, audience, or facilities. These may include but are not limited to: thrown or spilled food/liquid, or any other items that may put actors, audience, or facility at risk. 

Entrances from the House: If performers are making entrances from the house at the beginning of the play, they should allow plenty of time to start backstage and make their way to the back of the house. If there is no direct or safe path to the back of the house, performers may be permitted to stand at the back of the house prior to time starting. This decision will be made by the NCTC representative onsite.

No live animals may be used in your production. If a student requires a service animal in order to participate in the Festival, please contact NCTC.

At least one teacher or adult chaperone must be with your group at all times, including supervising load-in and load-out. If the teacher or primary chaperone leaves the Festival (with students still on campus), another adult chaperone must be designated and reported to the on-site NCTC representatives.

Please bring a poster for your show(s). Posters may not exceed 22×28 inches in size. These do not need to be professionally printed, they can be hand drawn; creativity is encouraged. If you are presenting 2 plays, you may bring 1 poster for each play. At the Festival, the host will hang your posters in the lobby and Celebration Stars will be sold. Celebration Stars are $1 each and students/teachers may write well-wishes and congratulatory comments on them and stick them on your show poster. Shoutout Celebration Stars will be sold for $5 and read onstage prior to each show (must be school-appropriate). You’ll be able to take your poster and stars home at the end of the Festival. This is a fun way to celebrate each other and has no impact on judging.

Parent Permission Form: Parent permission is required by NCTC, for each student participating in the Play Festival. This includes student actors, crew members, student directors, any student involved with your production. Teachers are asked to facilitate this process, to track the completion of forms, and to ensure all students/parents are in compliance with this rule.

Parents will complete a permission form via Jotform. Each teacher will receive a permission form link to share with students/parents, and a separate link to a spreadsheet to track forms for their students/parents. All forms must be completed by the announced deadline. Learn more here.

Program Pages: Teachers must upload a one-page program by the announced deadline.

Should the production contain any themes, language, activities, or subject matters that are not appropriate for young audiences, a notice to that effect must appear in the program. Be overly cautious here – include a warning for anything that might be construed as offensive, triggering or traumatic for young audiences. Also provide a warning if your performance uses strobe lighting or flashing light sequences. 

Please clearly indicate characters and performers on your program page, so adjudicators can make awards decisions. Download the Program Page Template.

If you are doing 2 shows at the Festival, when you upload your program pages, please indicate which show will be performed first and which second (#1 and #2) of your 2 time slots.

Representation matters. The NCTC Board of Directors has set a goal that our Middle School Play Festival stages accurately reflect and celebrate the overall demographics of our schools and communities. All participating schools are required to submit an online form for each production, indicating how each Play Festival show cast/crew demographics compare to their overall school demographics. If a school is doing two shows, the teacher should complete a separate form for each show. This information will be used as part of your Play Festival evaluation, on our adjudication form (more info below).

Public school teachers can find their school demographic information here (select your LEA at the top of the page). Individual student demographic data can be found in PowerSchool. If you do not have access to this data in PowerSchool, please connect with a school administrator who can assist you. Private school teachers should work with their administration to obtain accurate data.

Teachers who attend the Festival are eligible to receive CEU hours. The number of available hours will correspond with the number of plays at your regional site. For example, if your Festival has 8 shows, you may receive 8 CEU hours. NCTC awards hours, rather than credits, as policies for partial credit vary from district to district. You must be present during the entire Festival day, whether you are watching the shows or working with your students onsite. No partial credit will be given. Your NCTC onsite representative will have a sign-in sheet for CEU hours. They must witness your signature and attest your attendance. They will submit these signatures to the NCTC office and your certificates will be issued with your award certificates. In order to ensure credibility of the process, no certificates will be issued without your onsite signature.

Shooting video of your productions at the Festival is strictly prohibited. Each school will be permitted to designate 1 person (can be a chaperone or student) to take photographs of their production. The photographer will be limited to shooting in an area assigned by the NCTC representative, so as to not distract audience members and adjudicators. No flash may be used. No other audience members may take photographs or use a mobile device during performances. Following adjudication, the cast will come back onstage for a cast photo. If you would like a photo, make sure you are standing by and ready! Please inform students of these policies.

The North Carolina Theatre Conference works to ensure that our programs are available to all of the state’s citizens, including people with disabilities. If you wish to request assistance or have questions about accessibility for any of the Play Festival spaces, please contact NCTC Executive Director Angie Hays at angelahays@nctc.org.