Conduct - Student Handbook

The School of Drama has the following expectations of students while in class:

• You are responsible for absolute punctuality at every class.
• As attendance is assumed, each instructor will determine any penalty for absence or excessive lateness.
• You are responsible for being in proper classroom attire at the beginning of class.
• Being disrespectful to an instructor, fellow students or the classroom space and equipment will not be tolerated. This includes class disruption due to cell phones that have not been silenced, or laptop screens that could be disruptive to anyone in the class.
• No smoking or vaping is permitted in the classroom or the building. The University has designated specific smoking areas around campus.
• Food and drink are not permitted in the theater spaces at any time.
• Food and drink are permitted in other classrooms at the discretion of the instructor. If food and/or drink are allowed, clean up is mandatory.
• You are responsible for cleaning up all food and drink and for restoring the room at the end of each session.
• Trespassing, vandalism, graffiti, and theft are grounds for immediate dismissal from the School of Drama.

The School of Drama has the following expectations of students while in rehearsal:

• You are expected to read the Drama callboards daily. Stage Managers will inform company members of the particular location of the callboard for each production.
• You are required to be on time for every rehearsal.
• Actors are responsible for being in proper rehearsal clothing at the beginning of each rehearsal.
• You are responsible for being prepared and ready to work. Actors are required to bring scripts and pencils to record blocking, cues or notes.
• You are required to devote your full attention to the task at hand and to follow the directions of the director and stage manager.
• Complete quiet during rehearsal is to be maintained.
• It is the actor’s responsibility to stand by for cues and entrances at all times.
• It is the actor’s responsibility to be on time and courteous at any costume fitting.
• No smoking or vaping is allowed in rehearsal rooms, backstage areas, theaters, or in costume. Please note University policy on smoking and vaping.
• Food and drink in the rehearsal rooms is only allowed at the discretion of the director. If eating and drinking is permitted, clean up is mandatory.
• No one is permitted to eat or drink in the theaters, or backstage while in costume other than water bottles.
• Cast and crew will restore any rehearsal space to function for the daily School of Drama class schedule. This includes reporting broken or faulty equipment, returning furniture, door frames, props etc. to its original room, and the removal of all personal items and trash from the rehearsal hall.
• Rehearsals are workshop extensions of the curricular classroom work; therefore, missing class because of rehearsal or performance-related activities is unacceptable and can in no way be used as an excuse.
• The School of Drama has a zero tolerance policy on the use of alcohol and recreational drugs. Any student whose appearance or behavior suggests to a faculty or staff member that substance abuse may be involved will be immediately referred to Campus Police for investigation and follow up action.
• No one is allowed to leave rehearsals for any reason without the permission of the director and/or stage manager.
• Please CLICK HERE to read a document that describes the shared agreements that guide our rehearsals and performances in the UW School of Drama.

The School of Drama has the following expectations of students while on crew:

• Crew is a class and receives a letter grade. The grade is largely based on attendance, attitude and willingness to work and follow instructions.
• Crew members are required to be on time for every work call.
• Crew members are required to dress appropriately for work in the assigned area. The crew head will define what is appropriate.
• Crew members should come prepared to every call with a pencil, or any other materials required by the crew head.
• All crew members must be prepared and ready to work, and are required to devote their full attention to the task at hand and to follow the directions of the stage manager, designer or crew head. No crewmember will leave their assigned work area to interrupt the work of another crew member.
• No one is permitted to eat or drink in the theaters or backstage.
• The School of Drama has a zero tolerance policy on the use of alcohol and recreational drugs. Any student whose appearance or behavior suggests to a faculty or staff member that substance abuse may be involved will be immediately referred to Campus Police for investigation and follow up action.
• Electronic devices are not to be brought to crew (phones, laptops, ipods, etc), by anyone other than crew heads using those devices for the fulfillment of their crew duties. Any such devices that are discovered will be confiscated by the crew head, and may later be retrieved from the office of the SOD General Manager for Production at her convenience.
• No one is allowed to leave crew for any reason without the permission of the crew head and Stage Manager.
• All crew members must clean up their areas at the end of each call, and cannot leave until being released by their crew head.

The School of Drama has the following expectations of students during performances:

• Actors must be present and signed-in for all half-hour calls.
• Cast and crew must notify the Stage Manager as soon as possible and certainly before half-hour, if ill or unable to reach the theater on time.
• Actors are responsible for being warmed-up, made-up, dressed, and ready for cues and entrances at the beginning of each performance.
• Actors and crew must take proper care of and make no unauthorized changes in costumes, props or make-up.
• Actors and crew are responsible to maintain the performance as directed.
• Complete quiet is to be maintained in all offstage areas.
• Actors must return props and costumes to the proper places at the end of a performance.
• All personnel must cooperate with the Stage Manager, Assistant Stage Managers, Musical Director, Dance Captain, and Fight Captain. Any notes or problems are to be addressed to the Stage Manager.
• The Stage Manager is obligated to report any misconduct. Actors and crew will notify and apologize to the Stage Manager for any serious mistake or breach of professional conduct.
• No smoking or vaping is allowed in the dressing rooms, rehearsal spaces, backstage areas or theaters.
• One is permitted to eat or drink backstage only in the Green Room and when not in costume.

The School of Drama believes in fostering meaningful relationships with donors that help them to support the mission of the school. Supporters are a cornerstone of our community and play an important role in the success of our programs. We create opportunities for our donors and friends to get a deeper look into the work we do and get to know our students in a way that is thoughtful and structured. Across campus, faculty and staff leaders are taking stock of what we are asking of students and are limiting the amount of time we ask them to spend outside of their academic and artistic pursuits. We seek to ensure that our students are students first while they are at UW.

Here are some guidelines for donor involvement with the School of Drama:

• Donors will be invited to attend at least three First Rehearsal events throughout the season. The productions that will host First Rehearsals will be determined at the beginning of the year.
• Supporters will be invited to attend rehearsals for productions where guests are welcome. Whether a rehearsal is open or closed to guests will be determined by creative leadership for the production. That leadership includes the director and faculty area heads (PATP, Directing, and Design).
• A UW Advancement or School of Drama representative will be present with donors anytime they are visiting a rehearsal room.
• The School of Drama is happy to make arrange for donors to meet students. Donors can reach out to the School of Drama or UW Advancement with a request to meet with students, and an Advancement representative will work to make appropriate arrangements.
• Students must consent to provide their contact information to donors.
• Students are not expected to engage with donors outside of events planned by the School.
• In addition to rehearsals, the School of Drama will invite donors to other events where they can interact with students and learn more about the School of Drama. Such events may include the Welcome Picnic, a PATP and Donor Mixer, PATP Solo shows, the PATP showcase, the end-of-year picnic, and other special events.