Expectations: Designated staff and leadership lead NYT events and are responsible for safety and discipline during all events. They should be informed immediately of any emergency. Students must cooperate and follow the instructions of these adults. Should a student violate this Code of Conduct, the first time they will be reminded, if it is a minor violation. If the behavior occurs a second time, parents will be notified. If this becomes an ongoing problem the student may be asked to leave the current NYT production or class.

Participation: Participation in all scheduled activities during an event is expected. Participants must stay on-site during all events. In case of an emergency, a participant can leave the event only after being checked out with the appropriate adult coordinator or in person by a parent or legal guardian.

Illegal and Inappropriate Items: Under no circumstances may alcohol, cigarettes, illegal drugs, or weapons be possessed or used at NYT activities.

Dress:

★ Modest dress is required for boys and girls. Clothing must be modest and appropriate for all activities.
★ Be aware of what may be exposed when dancing, moving, jumping, sitting, bending over, etc.
★ Remember the 3 Bs (for boys AND girls): behind, belly, and breasts are to be covered.
★ Undergarments must be covered.
★ No low-riding pants or shorts.
★ No clothing that bares midriffs or shows cleavage.
★ Boys may swim without wearing a shirt.
★ Transparent or see-through clothing may only be worn with a tank, shirt, shorts, or leggings underneath.
★ All skirts must also include bike shorts, leggings/tights, or bloomers.
★ Loose athletic shorts (a.k.a. Nike shorts), or any other shorts shorter than mid-thigh, must be worn with bike shorts, leggings, or tights.
★ Leggings, jeggings, tights, yoga pants, etc. must be worn with something additional that covers your behind (i.e., a long shirt, shorts, skirt, etc).
★ No inappropriate messages or images on clothing (ex: crude language, provocative images).

Dress Code

Public Display of Affection: NYT events are group activities, not dating venues. Participants should not be alone, especially with a member of the opposite sex. Affectionate physical or public display of affection contact is never appropriate (ex: kissing, sitting on laps, and yes, even holding hands).

In addition to the Code of Conduct above, students cast in NYT shows are expected to follow Theater Etiquette:

  1. When you step off the stage, you vanish. Walk quietly backstage and everywhere in theater. No talking or whispering off stage. No loud noise in the dressing room. Nothing ruins a scene more than the thumps of someone running to make a cue or someone talking in the wings.
  2. Once the house is open, stay off the stage and out of the theater. Don’t mingle with a waiting audience; you have other things to keep you busy.
  3. Never talk when the directing team is talking.
  4. Never miss an entrance.
  5. No mobile phones backstage.
  6. Accept all notes from the directing team graciously and say, “Thank you.”
  7. Never disagree with the director in front of the cast. If you don’t understand the note, or you disagree, ask the note-giver for more clarity afterwards, privately.
  8. Never give other actors notes and don’t accept them from other actors. If someone does offer you notes, say, “Thank you but we should take that through the director.” The only members of the production who should be giving notes are the directing team.
  9. Never add something to or remove something from your costume. It’s the costume designers job to put you in something appropriate for the show, not yours. If you have suggestions or problems with a part of your costume, take them to the costume chair or the director.
  10. Don’t hang out in the wings to watch the show. Backstage areas can be tight. The crew and your fellow actors have to get to where they need to be.
  11. Clean up after yourself in all rehearsal spaces and dressing room.
  12. When waiting in the wings for an entrance, watch your sight lines. If you can see audience or, the seats, then you can be seen.
  13. When entering and exiting, try to avoid brushing/touching against curtains/drops. Apart from breaking part of the set, all that motion can be seen by the audience and distracts them from the action on the stage.
  14. Tech rehearsals can be tough. Hang in while the crews fine-tune cues and equipment. Give them the respect they deserve while doing their jobs: pay attention, stay quiet, and be available as they jump from scene to scene.
  15. Pay attention to the stage manager. He or she will be telling you important stuff to keep the show running smoothly. And don’t forget to thank the stage manager when he gives a call (“15 minutes!” “Thank you 15!”). That’s so the stage manager knows that you heard the call and are ready to go.
  16. Never touch someone else’s prop, even if you think it’s out of place. They may have moved it there on purpose in order to help the flow of the show. Bring it to the attention of the stage manager if you think it’s in the wrong location.
  17. Always check your props before curtain. Things happen, props get bumped or moved or crushed. It’s also comforting to know that everything is where you expect it to be before the curtain goes up.
  18. Props and (most) costumes don’t belong to you, they belong to the theater. Treat them with respect and be sure to return them to their rightful locations after you’ve used them.
  19. Whether it’s a rehearsal or production night, don’t miss a call time. There’s a very good reason that the director set a call time, even if you don’t know what it is. And if you’re going to be late or miss a rehearsal for unforeseen circumstances, please let the production manager know as soon as possible.
  20. Always give your best! Whether it’s a matinee with a house full of kids or opening night, the audience paid to come see you become somebody else. There’s no excuse for giving less than 100%! Focus!
  21. Always be respectful of everyone you work with: the staff, the crew, the directors, the designers, the other actors, and yourself!

Failure to comply with these codes of conduct may result in the cast members(s) being removed from the show.

My signature above signifies that I have read and reviewed these policies with my child.
I have read and reviewed the Student Code of Conduct and Theater Etiquette policies. I understand that failure to comply by these rules and policies may result in my removal from the show.