NEW PARENT HANDBOOK

Welcome to the Weaver Theatre family! Sometimes joining this program as new parents can feel overwhelming and confusing - especially if you aren’t used to the world of theatre. This handbook is designed to provide you with information to help you navigate your Weaver Theatre journey.

Please note that we try to update this handbook regularly. We make changes, additions, and adjustments as often as possible. If you believe there's information missing that should be included, don't hesitate to contact us. Our aim is to empower and inform you. Remember, there are no silly questions or requests!

BOOSTER MISSION STATEMENT

Weaver Academy Theatre Boosters is the parent service organization that assists the Weaver Academy Theatre department through volunteer work and fundraising. The funds we raise are used for production costs, trips, meals and equipment for all shows/departmental needs.

BOOSTER ROLES INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO THE FOLLOWING:

• Provide concessions
• Provide and serve student meals for select rehearsals/shows
• Promote productions
• Fundraising events and activities
• Recruit chaperones for trips
• Help fund production needs
• Connect parents
• Special projects as needed

COMMUNICATIONS

There are a few ways to get information besides this handbook:

Your Students: This is the most important method of communication. Your students often receive information before we do. Please discuss their classes with them and inquire if any materials or notices have been sent home from the theatre department. This not only keeps you informed but also emphasizes the importance of their attentiveness and responsibility in receiving and disseminating information.

• Your student will also be required to sign up for a Remind account to receive rehearsal updates and other announcements from their teachers. Make sure you check in about this account regularly.

Booster’s Monthly Newsletter: Every month, parents will receive a newsletter to the email address they provide us with updates and highlights for that month. The newsletter will include dates you need to know about, opportunities to volunteer, fundraiser updates and more. Be sure to bookmark it so you can come back to it during the month.

Mr. Taylor’s Syllabus: At the start of the year, your student will get a booklet from Mr. Taylor. It's designed like a magazine and contains lots of important information for both you and your student. Please take the time to read it and discuss the details with your student. One of the most important features in that syllabus is the Theatre Department calendar of events (subject to change).

Booster Meetings: The Boosters meet the 1st Tuesday of each month during the school year at 6 pm in the media center and on Google Meet. It is a wonderful way to get updates on programs, fundraisers and to ask questions. A virtual option will be available.

GroupMe: For fast answers to questions, GroupMe is another option. We will have one GroupMe account for all parents (NEW FOR 2025). It is used to send out messages to parents when the information is relevant to everyone…things like upcoming events, SignUp Genius links for volunteer slots or fundraiser details. Sign up here: https://groupme.com/join_group/108924108/boXzmvmK

Weaver Academy BUZZ: This is a weekly newsletter sent out from the Weaver Administrative offices and covers news for the entire school.

Weaver Handbook: All school policies are here.

Principal Area Coursework Guide: What class requirements each PVA can expect yearly.

Weaver’s AP Curriculum: AP Classes offered at Weaver

Social Media:

• https://www.facebook.com/groups/258881994253788 (Weaver Boosters Facebook)
• https://www.instagram.com/weaveracademytheatre/ (Weaver Theatre Instagram)
• https://www.instagram.com/weavertheatreboosters/ (Booster Instagram)

ALL ABOUT SHOWS

REHEARSALS: Student stage managers will send rehearsal schedules through the Remind app to the cast and crew. Make sure to regularly discuss this with your students if they are part of a production. Schedules may change based on show needs. Rehearsals, especially for large productions like the musical, can run late. Remind your student that it is their responsibility to know when and where their rehearsals are and to keep you updated.

ABOUT CAST & CREW MEALS: During our production season, it's crucial for our students to be prompt for call times, so they're not allowed to leave campus for certain rehearsals or before the four main season performances. To support this and ensure they're well-fed and in good spirits, the Boosters provide meals to the cast and crew during final dress and show days that go beyond regular school hours or on days with two performances.

We do our best to accommodate allergies and intolerances, but because our budget is limited, sometimes we cannot accommodate everyone. We will do our best to inform you of meals that your student can expect so you can make other plans as needed.

We feed:

• Actors
• Light/Sound Techs
• Stage/Prop Managers
• Front of House
• Box Office
• Promo Team
• Teachers/Guest Directors

VOLUNTEER ROLES: At every show, the Boosters volunteer to serve in several fashions.

1. Serving cast & crew meals (including set up and clean up)
2. Selling concessions
3. Creating and selling “Kisses for the Cast”
4. Selling Spirit Wear and other merchandise

FUNDRAISING

OUR FUNDRAISERS: We hold at least two fundraisers during the year. The first one takes place at the beginning of the school year, and the last one (called Ballyhoo), takes place in the Spring after the musical. They both support the Theatre Department’s General Fund. This fund helps cover program-wide needs.

Additional fundraisers—typically one during the holidays and another at the start of the spring semester—raise money to help students cover various fees throughout the year (explained below). While participation in fundraisers is optional, the more we raise, the more opportunities we can offer to all students.

Continue reading for details on the fees due throughout the year.

ADDITIONAL SPENDING

BOOSTER FEES: Families are asked to contribute towards the Weaver Theatre General Budget for the school year. This covers cast/crew meals, the purchase of concessions offerings, teacher gifts, cast gifts, show supply needs and ITS Banquet rental fees (additional fees will be charged to cover catering and AV staff).

BOOSTER MEMBERSHIP: Families who wish to join the Boosters are asked to contribute a yearly $25 fee.

TICKETS: Ticket sales contribute to various show expenses. Complimentary tickets are only available to volunteers on the day of the show. Tickets are currently cash-only, priced between $5 to $15 each, and sold only at the door, with the exception of Ballyhoo.

CONCESSIONS: Concessions are priced between $2 to $3 each.

SPIRIT WEAR/MERCH: Throughout the year, we offer spirit wear and keepsakes for students and parents, priced between $10 to $30. We recommend students get a black Weaver Theatre shirt for rehearsals, performances, and trips, typically priced at $25. Additionally, a musical show shirt will be available for around $25.

KISSES FOR THE CAST: Audience members can purchase Hershey’s Kisses and notes of encouragement to send to cast members at each show for $1.

PROGRAM ADS/COSTUME FEES: If your student is working in a show as cast or crew, they are asked to cover costume fees by soliciting ads or donating a minimum fee of $40 - $70 (depending on the show needs).

SPRING TRIP: The cost for the optional Spring Trip will vary depending on the chosen location. It typically costs over $900 per person.

ITS COMPETITIONS: The cost to compete and travel will range depending on how far along the students make it in the competition.

• Students prepare their "Individual Event" submissions for the ITS Competition at the beginning of the year. There is no fee for that.
• If they advance to the regional competition, they will incur an entrance fee of at least $20. There may also be a travel/meal fee of up to $75 (depending on the location). At times, Boosters are able to fund this.
• If they advance to the State Competition the registration fee is a minimum of $165 for entry and meals and additional fees up to $200 for travel expenses (bus/hotel).
• National Competition attendance fees for the Summer International Festival vary; 2025 registration was $999, excluding travel expenses.

SECRET SANTA: Every year before the holiday party, students participate in a week-long Secret Santa gift exchange. The minimum spending expectation is $5 per gift for 5 days and the final (6th) gift is normally around $15, but the total you spend is really up to your family to decide. Handmade gifts are always fun too and some kids have even found ways to give virtual gifts!

HOLIDAY PARTY: The theatre department hosts a holiday dinner annually for students. The cost for this will be a minimum of $20 per student. This is a student only party. No parents allowed!

BALLYHOO: Ballyhoo is our annual fundraising reception/raffle/auction and cabaret. Attendance is $20, with additional costs between $10 and $100 for the opportunity to win prizes at the event.

ITS GALA & AWARDS: Students attend a gala at the end of the year for new ITS inductions and awards. The cost is $25 per student, and formal wear is customary for students. Parents and guardians pay $15 per person and are also welcome to wear formal attire, or whatever you wore to work is great too!

ITS INDUCTION FOR NEW MEMBERS: New theatre students will be inducted into the International Thespian Society at the end of the year. New ITS inductees will incur a fee of $40. There will also be a form new inductees need to fill out for their membership. Note that this is separate from any gala registrations.

OTHER FIELD TRIPS: Costs for other field trips will vary depending on the trip and distance traveled.

GOODS & SUPPLIES

Apart from the fees mentioned earlier, we also have the need for goods and supplies. It's important to budget for purchasing specific items your students will require for the program.

• Black active wear (required): Students must “dress out” in all black for classes
• Black grippy socks (required): Also, a requirement for theatre class. Pro tip: buy several
• Ben Nye Makeup Kit (required): These can get pricey so you might want to start with a small kit at first. Base what you buy on skin tone. You can see the different foundation skin tones by clicking through options here. Then do a google search for the best prices on kits. Amazon is usually the cheapest.
• Prizes for Ballyhoo: This is our annual fundraising reception/raffle/auction and cabaret, and it helps pay expenses related to our musical and future productions. If you know of companies that would like to donate prizes, please let us know!

GET INVOLVED

Do you have a special interest in any of these areas or expertise that you can bring to the table? We’d love to have you on the following committees:

• Sponsorships
• Merch – Determine merch & pricing, place orders, promote
• Fundraising (includes Ballyhoo and ITS Gala)
• Events/Social Committee (includes Holiday party, Ballyhoo, parent socials and ITS Gala)
• Cast & Crew Meals
• Volunteers – Responsible for creating signup geniuses,
• Communications – Responsible for monthly newsletter, communication of upcoming costs and volunteer needs

TERMS TO KNOW

One of the most confusing things for parents are all the different acronyms that students throw around during the year. Here’s a breakdown to help you!

• PVA: Performance & Visual Arts – This refers to the different schools at Weaver: theatre, visual arts, guitar, vocal, dance, music pro, piano & strings. Example - “My child’s PVA is theatre.”
• WAPO: Weaver Academy Performance Opportunity – These are regular performances featuring students from each PVA. They happen during the school day and are only for students.
• NCTC: North Carolina Theatre Conference - The NCTC High School Play Festival showcases over 130 productions from 100+ schools across North Carolina. Each fall, schools gather at regional events for two days of performance and celebration. Select plays advance to the State Festival with the top two moving on to a national festival. Our first show of the season is our competition piece. In addition, NCTC hosts a college day every November which is a large audition for colleges with theatre programs to express interest in students.
• IE: Individual Events - This is one of the first assignments students receive. They will pick a theatrical category (song, dance, monologue, costuming, etc.). Mr. Taylor and Mrs. C will score them and decide who will advance to compete in the ITS NC Thespians Regional Qualifiers in January.
• ITS: International Thespian Society - ITS is an honor society for middle and high school theatre students. They recognize student achievement in all aspects of theatre, including performance and production. In addition, they host competitions throughout the year at the regional, state and national level.
  • You will also hear this used as shorthand for the local, regional and state competitions hosted by ITS NC THESPIANS. As in “I got selected for ITS Regionals!"
• NOW: Night of Original Works - Freshman write scripts which are then chosen by seniors to cast and direct (typically with Freshman actors). A showcase is prepared and performed for the public.
• PORTFOLIOS: Students will be required to begin a portfolio of all the assignments they take part in, shows they are in, their theatrical resume, their headshot…the list goes on. It is a large part of their final grade. It’s a great idea to collect programs from any shows they are in or any shows they attend throughout the year as many are eligible to earn them ITS points which looks good on transcripts. Also be sure to keep track of classes they take part in and awards they win - inside or outside of Weaver.
• WIES (pronounced “weez”): Weaver Individual Events Showcase - This is a showcase performed each year of all the performers selected to compete in the ITS NC Regional Qualifiers.
• ESU: English Speaking Union - Students participate in the ESU National Shakespeare Competition by selecting and performing a Shakespeare monologue/sonnet. They first compete at the school level, with winners advancing to regional and potentially national rounds.
• POL - Poetry Out Loud:  Students select and perform poems as part of the national Poetry Out Loud® competition, which begins at the school level. Top performers may advance to regional, state, and national levels. 
• DPAC Rising Stars: This is a regional high school musical theatre competition held at the Durham Performing Arts Center, recognizing outstanding performances in Central North Carolina. Weaver Theatre submits lead and supporting actors from its annual musical, with top performers selected at the DPAC event eligible to advance to the national Jimmy Awards (“The Jimmys”).
• THE JIMMYS: Jimmy Awards - This is a prestigious national competition honoring the best high school musical theatre performers in the U.S., awarding Best Performance by an Actress and Best Performance by an Actor each year. Winners from DPAC Rising Stars get an all expense paid trip to NYC to compete.
• UNIFIEDS: Short for National Unified Auditions: During their senior year, students may attend unified college auditions in NYC, Chicago or LA. At Unified Auditions, multiple colleges, universities, theatre programs, and conservatories hold auditions in one location. Unifieds can be a cost-efficient and convenient way to audition for a lot of schools in on