Mainstage Guidelines for 2022-2023
PLEASE BE AWARE: Any violation of the General Rules of Florida State Thespians’ Mainstage screening will be subject to disqualification and/or disciplinary action by the Board of Directors.
PURPOSE
The purpose of a Mainstage Production is to “showcase” the outstanding theatre present in secondary schools throughout the state of Florida for the current year.
Emphasis on selection should be placed on:
1. Quality
2. Variety
3. Innovation
4. Appropriateness to the Florida State Thespian Festival.
MAINSTAGE RULES
1. At the beginning of each school year, the Florida State Thespians will post the Mainstage criteria, highlighting any new changes on the web page. (All rule changes are highlighted below in BOLD)
2. All Mainstage applicants must be currently affiliated with the International Thespian Society at the time of application.
3. All Mainstage plays must be directed by any full time staff member from the school who has been employed by the school for at least the past 2 years.
4. The director of the production must have attended the Florida State Thespian Festival the past two (2) years as a registered attendee.
5. Each school may submit only one application per year for Mainstage adjudication.
6. The troupe director should complete and submit a Mainstage application, with a check made payable to Florida State Thespians for the yearly fee determined by the State Board, by the application deadline: September 9, 2022. The 2022-2023 Mainstage Screening fee is $500.00 and non-refundable.
7. The performance should be scheduled at a convenient time within the published screening window on the application. The 2022-2023 Mainstage Screening window: September 16-November 19, 2022.
8. Mainstage productions will be a minimum of forty-five (45) minutes, and a maximum of two and one-half hours (including intermission).
9. The Mainstage Coordinator will book hotels for all judges.
10. On the Mainstage application the troupe director should agree that the production will include the same script, cast, costumes, and set as would be presented at the State Festival. Some modification to the set may be necessary to fit the venue at state, though this is not to disrupt the original integrity of the design.
11. No production will be eligible for consideration if it was performed during the previous State Festival.
12. A troupe director CANNOT bring the same play for both the Mainstage and a cut version from district one acts to the State Festival.
13. If under consideration, you are asked to email 15 pictures which show both your set and characters on your set. These pictures must be sent by email in picture format and will not be returned. PLEASE DO NOT SEND ANY PICTURES PRINTED ON PAPER.
14. All participants of a chosen mainstage for State are eligible to attend State. Application for adjudication of the mainstage does not qualify students to attend State; you must actively participate at the district level. All production participants must be officially registered delegates for the entire Florida State Thespian Festival. All participants must be members of the troupe. Any non-troupe members must be approved in advance of screening by the State Director. Orchestra or band members playing the accompaniment for a musical may be hired/non-troupe members, but must use a Mainstage pass for the State Festival if selected.
15. Mainstages now receive “Mainstage passes” for their show. These are for day of show only entrance and unlike regular “day passes” will grant holder entry to that evening’s Manstage. Attendees wishing to see the Mainstage presenter’s show must still also have a valid ticket that is requested by the Mainstage presenting school during the registration window.
16. All Mainstage performing groups must have a stage crew to mount and strike the set.
17. All scenery, props, costumes, makeup, microphones etc. will be supplied by the performing troupe and will not be provided by Florida State Thespians.
18. All Mainstage producing groups must provide programs for the capacity of the scheduled theatre.
19. It is strongly suggested that all musical presentations have live accompaniment.
20. All applicants will be notified within two weeks of the closing of their show whether or not their show is under consideration. Judge’s critiques will be sent to all applicants after the mainstage committee meeting in early December.
21. The troupe director will receive the decision from the Mainstage Committee within a week before the State registration .
22. Troupe directors wishing to present a cutting from a play or one act from a full-length script MUST secure written permission from the play publisher to present the cutting or one-act version. This written permission MUST be submitted to the State Director with the Mainstage application.
23. It is strongly suggested that no adjudication may be scheduled for the dates of the Florida Association of Theatre Educators (FATE) conference and the dates of the Florida Theatre Conference.
24. Collaboration among high schools to present a Mainstage production using students from more than one Troupe will be permitted only if a letter from the sponsors from all affiliated troupes involved accompanies the Mainstage application. These letters must include the reasons for the collaboration, agreement of all parties to the production, and a clear explanation of what responsibilities each of the sponsors will assume. The collaborated production will be considered the only entry from each of the involved schools. No student may perform in more than one Mainstage entry each year. The final decision of whether or not the collaboration will be permitted will be made by the State Director based on the information provided.
25. Mainstages must have a pre-show warning as well as a warning on the registration website and guidebook that a mainstage contains realistic gun noises.
26. Mainstages must now declare the asterisks that apply to their shows for publication in festival communication.
27. A troupe must participate in a District festival in the same school year to be eligible to be selected as a Mainstage.
28. The State registration must be received on time and complete with payment or the selected Mainstage may be canceled at the discretion of the State director.
payment or the selected Mainstage may be cancelled at the discretion of the State director.
MAINSTAGE APPLICATION 2022
Moratorium List 2022-2023
Mainstage Registration Fee
This is the Mainstage Registration Fee. It covers all administrative fees associated with having your Mainstage Play adjudicated for the State festival. ALL SALES FINAL. NO REFUNDS. (There is a $20 processing fee for online purchases.)
$520.00