STAR REP’S FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
(F.A.Q.)
What is the age minimum to do a STAR Rep Show?
Should a child with no to little acting experience audition for a STAR Rep show?
What does a STAR Rep audition consist of?
Who are the Board of Talent, and what are their specialties?
What happens at a typical STAR Rep rehearsal?
How do I receive rehearsal/performance information?
What is the general make-up of the children involved in a STAR Rep production?
What should my child bring to rehearsals? What clothes are appropriate?
How do you cast shows?
What if my child is unhappy with his or her role?
Why does STAR Rep have multiple casts?
What forms of tuition payments does STAR Rep accept?
Are there refunds on tuition?
Can I use my technical experience, and/or background to assist in STAR Rep productions?
Is it okay to miss rehearsals?
What can I expect from the final performance?
How can one become a STAR Rep Intern or earn community service hours for their school?
What is the age minimum to do a STAR Rep show?
There is no age minimum, unless specifically stated. Ability to be cast will depend upon the maturity level of the child, or the willingness of another STAR Rep student to take responsibility for the young actor. We have typically found that children under 4 years old are not able to focus for long enough periods of time to take advantage of our STAR Rep program.
Should a child with no to little acting experience audition for a STAR Rep show?
Absolutely! Our Musical Youth Program auditions are for Character placement. Every child who auditions at STAR will get a part. STAR auditions are stress-free! They are designed for children of all different levels of experience. We encourage new children to audition with a sibling or friend if they would like additional support during their audition. STAR’s motto and program is not about the final performance, but to ensure that your child has a FUN experience in musical theatre, and enjoys their journey through our program!
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What does a STAR Rep audition consist of?
Usually our auditions consist of singing a short portion of a song not from the show for which you are auditioning. We encourage students not to sing a capella as they tend to lose their key and tempo. Many times, karaoke versions are available for use. Please bring in a cd, an iPod or iPhone, to your audition with your karaoke audition song on it.
What does a STAR Rep callback consist of?
Usually our callbacks consist of singing a short portion of one or more songs from the show, a cold reading, a dance combination, and a lot of sitting around. So please bring something for your child to do (i.e. book, etc.) during the waiting periods, and supply your child with a snack and a drink.
Who are the Board of Talent at STAR Rep, and what are their specialties?
Unlike most youth theatre organization boards, who are typically comprised of parent volunteers who have not worked professionally in theatre; STAR Rep’s Board of Talent consists of artists who are professional working actors, stage managers, directors, designers, vocal coaches, and choreographers.
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What happens at a typical STAR Rep rehearsal?
The #1 Goal here at STAR Rep is for rehearsals to be so much FUN that the students would rather be at rehearsal than almost anywhere else! To keep the zest and pizazz in a long rehearsal schedule, the rehearsal formats are constantly varied. Through multiple mechanisms, fundamental singing, acting, and dancing education is provided, along with rehearsal for the performance of the show.
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How do I receive rehearsal/performance information?
There are two ways to receive rehearsal/performance information. Each student and/or their parent will be put on a mass email list through Constant Contact. Rehearsal schedules are typically sent out the Sunday of every week. Performance information is typically sent out two weeks before tech week starts. STAR Rep has taken advantage of the advancements in being a part of a Social Media network. Through Facebook, each STAR Rep production has its own Group page, and each student and/or their parent will be invited to join that Group page. There you will be able to see postings of rehearsal information, as well as videos of choreography of specific dance numbers, or songs from the show.
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What is the general make-up of the children involved in a STAR Rep production?
Based on past student participation, we generally have an equal amount of veterans and new students in all of our STAR Rep productions. Age ranges vary by show, and attendance. Past students include persons from virtually all ethnicity races, and many different religions who all have co-existed in harmony without any discrimination based upon race, creed, color, gender, or religious affiliations.
What should my child bring to rehearsals? What clothes are appropriate?
Scripts need to be brought to every rehearsal, with the students name on it. Each student should bring a snack, bottled water, a pencil and easer, and any necessary medication. Students should wear sneakers or dance shoes, and not come wearing clogs, sandals, flip flops, or any show that makes dancing/movement prohibitive. Students will be asked to bring in their own "costume basics" for hygiene and size reasons for dress rehearsals and performances. "Costume basics" include dance shoes, leotards, tights, etc. Basically, anything that the students will need in order to make it so group costume changes are comfortable in the dressing room.
How do you cast shows?
The artistic team for each STAR Rep production consists of the Director, Musical Director, Choreographer, and producers Scott and Meredith Kolod. The Choreographer and Musical Director give their input to the Director and Producers. The Director, and Producers meet and cast the show, taking all factors into account in placing each individual student in a featured role that they believe the student should enjoy.
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If your child did not receive the role that he/she wanted or expected, please help us by working with your child to celebrate the role that they did receive!
STAR Rep’s Board of Talent teachers are available year-round to work with your children on a one-on-one basis to improve their auditioning technique, and to counsel them on how to achieve their goals.
What if my child is unhappy with his or her role?
Most students, even if they are initially unhappy with their casting, find that they love their roles after a day or two of rehearsal. We find that even if cast in a role that only has one scene and a few lines, an actor with a good attitude can make the most of it, and often becomes one of the most memorable actors in the show! “Remember: there are no small parts, only small actors…” Konstantin Stanislavsky
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Why does STAR Rep have multiple casts?
It is STAR Rep's fundamental policy to feature as many kids as possible, and to challenge each child with a role that will be commensurate to their abilities. By having multiple casts, we increase our ability to adhere to STAR Rep's fundamental policy. Additionally, we are covered for illness, injury or some other unforeseen event. Also, we place all off cast leads in ensemble roles, which makes the ensemble very strong. It is true that some may feel that multiple casts create an element of competitiveness between casts, but the benefits clearly outweigh the pettiness that sometimes comes out in people.
What forms of tuition payment do you accept?
We accept cash, personal checks made out to "STAR Repertory Theatre", Visa/Mastercard, American Express, Discover and PayPal. We can also provide a written scheduled payment plan to STAR Rep students. There are need-based scholarships (full/partial). Up to 10 scholarships are available per STAR Rep production. STAR Rep students must apply for either a full/partial scholarship one month prior to their audition in order to be considered.
Are there refunds on tuition?
There are no refunds, but STAR Rep can credit your tuition payment towards a future STAR Rep show.
Can I use my technical experience, and/or background to assist in STAR Rep productions?
All volunteers are welcome, and appreciated! If any high school or college students need to fulfill community service hours for their school, STAR Rep is a perfect place to volunteer your time too! Here are some technical areas that we need help in.
Set building. Set Building is done during the weekdays. If you can spare some hours during the work week to work on sets, please contact us at STARrepertorytheatre@yahoo.com. No prior experience is needed.
Music Editing. Should you have experience in recording/editing of musical tracks, please contact us at STARrepertorytheatre@yahoo.com.
Costumes. We need experienced seamstresses, costume designers, and purchasers, to costume students for each production. If you have a desire to be on the costume committee of any of our productions, please contact us at STARrepertorytheatre@yahoo.com.
We also need help with live sound, filming, lighting, crew chief, prop manager, raffle coordinator, backstage manager, load in and strike, graphic design, programs, painting, etc. for all productions.
STAR Rep is always looking for ways to barter for any free rehearsal or storage space. If you have free space to barter, please contact us at STARrepertorytheatre@yahoo.com.
Is it okay to miss rehearsals?
The students who are able to attend every session will undoubtedly have a more rewarding experience. Even a short absence during a key skills-learning week can cause your children to miss a lot! Of course, emergencies and illnesses happen, and we do our best to work with them. Parents and children should remember that putting on a STAR Rep production requires a team effort from all cast members, and absences hurt the production. Please write down all possible schedule conflicts for us at the time of your child's audition.
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What can I expect by the final performance?
We guarantee that each student will be a more confident performer! As a parent, you will get to see your child shine on-stage. STAR Rep productions consist of beautiful sets, colorful costumes, and amazing special effects. From show to show, you will watch your child's skills in singing, acting, and dancing grow!
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How can one become a STAR Rep Intern or earn Community Service Hours for their school?
Ideally, Interns should be former students at least 14 years of age. Students who are interested in learning how to direct, musical direct, stage manage, film, sound, lights, set construction, set painting, etc. should send an email to STARreperotrytheatre@yahoo.com, indicating availability, and a brief resume of experience. Internship Training depends on need, and production.