Whidbey Playhouse

Whidbey Playhouse Play Reading Critique Form                                   Submit to List:    yes       no Reviewer___________________________________________ Phone__________ Date____________

Title of Play_____________________________________________ Publisher___________________

Author(s), Lyricist, Composer ____________________________________________ Pub. Year_____

Musical___ Comedy___ Drama___ Comic Drama___ Mystery___ Revue___ Other_______________

Setting__________________________________________________ Time Period________________

Cast  and Crew Requirements (number/ages):  

Men________/______________________________________________________________________

Women______/_____________________________________________________________________

Boys_­____/________________________________ Girls_____/_______________________________

Other:  Musicians_________________ Dancers__________________ Choreographer_____________

Brief synopsis: _____________________________________________________________________

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Please answer the following questions as objectively as possible.

1.  What are the strengths of the show? _________________________________________________  __________________________________________________________________________________

2.  What are the weaknesses of the show? _______________________________________________

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3.  Is it within the capabilities of our local pool of actors, singers, and dancers?  For example, is the music singable and danceable?  Are regional dialects, foreign language or accents required?

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4.  Are there any special needs for lighting, sound, props, or costumes?  Are there any technical complexities that would make staging and production unusually difficult?  Any essential but hard-to-find props, etc.? _____________________________________________________________

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5.  Can this set be built on our stage?  What potential set problems could be encountered?

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6.  Our audience is a widely varied and diverse group of people.  We want to appeal to as many as possible.  With that in mind, do you think our audiences will appreciate the message of this play?  This show will appeal most to what segment of our community?______________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

7.  In your opinion, is this show an appropriate choice for Whidbey Playhouse Play Day, and why or why not?________________________________________________________________________  __________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________Now return to top right corner of page one and circle yes or no.

Place this form in the designated notebook in the Play Day box.

Whidbey Playhouse Play Selection Committee Guidelines for 2010 Committee

• The Whidbey Playhouse Play Day Committee’s work begins Tuesday April 27, 2010.  We will evaluate scripts to build a list of shows to present to the Board for their vote in November 2010.  A membership-voting Play Day may or may not be held as in previous years, or we may use a preview format similar to our 2010 event, as the Board decides.

• Reviewers critique each play using the Critique Form to evaluate whether the play should be submitted to the list based upon (not in order of importance):

o   audience appeal to our community of patrons, including familiarity of author

o   suitability for our stage, backstage area, and technical equipment

o   local performing and production talent, including participation of all ages

o   quality of writing, balance of dialogue and action, and essential theme

• Completed critique forms can go in the designated notebook in the Play Day Box.  After serving on the committee for a season, a reviewer may choose not to complete the critique forms or to use an alternate form.  The important task is to examine the show carefully for possible selection for our season.   Reviewers may reject a play in lieu of reading the entire script, placing the title on the No List found in the box, but others may return such plays to the review process by submitting a Critique Form. 

• Directors wishing to direct a particular show and non-committee WPH members may submit up to three plays according to available instructions.  A Director who is a Committee member, including the chair, may submit up to 3 plays he/she wishes to direct.  Some committee voting restrictions may apply to those Director/members regarding their submitted plays. 

• At first, each play will be considered on its own merit, without regard to how it might fit into a season.  If two or three reviewers (depending upon the number of active committee members) agree that a show meets the criteria, the title is entered on the Official List.  A current Official List will be periodically emailed to the committee members.  Plays on the Official List should be read by each committee member. 

• By our third or fourth meeting, we will begin to select by majority vote the best plays for the Short List.  We will read, discuss and promote plays we like.  At each meeting, we will assess the Short List, refining, discarding or expanding to select plays that could make a well-balanced season which usually, but not always, includes two musicals, two comedies, and one drama or dramatic comedy.  Melodramas, mysteries, and musical revues, etc. will also be considered.  A play will be dropped from the list by majority vote. The deadline for play submission is Sunday Oct. 3rd in order to allow time for committee review.  The list will be finalized at our last meeting on Tuesday November 2nd.  The number of plays on the list will be determined by the Play Day format chosen and by the Board.  We will also finalize plans for the Play Day event, if held, at that time.

• There are a number of tasks involved in Play Day preparation, including presentation of the plays.  Each show is allocated 12 to 15 minutes during which scenes or segments of scenes, musical numbers, and synopsis of shows are presented.  Plays will be presented by their chosen directors whenever possible.  If the director is not available or not yet chosen, the Chair will select someone to present the play.  Presentation rehearsals at WPH facilities must be scheduled with office personnel. 

• Committee members will participate in the organization and execution of the event with set-up and take down, programs, ticket-taking, ushering, and governing of voting, if called for by the Board.  Food and food related clean-up will be in cooperation with the Volunteer/Membership Social Activities Committee.  If a Play Readings for Fun Sub-Committee is formed, those members will also help in these tasks and presentations.

• The Board uses the finalists on the committee-submitted Short List or from the voted Play Day results to create the final show season based upon (not listed in any order of importance):
• rights availability
• an interested qualified director
• scheduling
• production costs
• balancing the season
• other criteria

• In the event that rights cannot be obtained or other circumstances make any of the final Play Day choices unavailable or inappropriate for the season, the Board may return to other plays from the list that did not make the final list.  They may also solicit other shows, including director-submitted shows that were received after the October 3rd deadline.  The Play Day Committee is obligated to search the available repertoire to make the best recommendations to the Board.  It is the obligation of the Board, considering those recommendations and the will of the membership, to create the best possible Whidbey Playhouse season for the community.  The Board makes every effort to reflect the will of a membership vote in their final play choices but has the authority to select shows outside of Play Day results for the reasons listed above.