Over the past few months our production teams have been working together to figure out a plan for our SPRING IN-PERSON productions of Green Day’s AMERICAN IDIOT, Disney’s BEAUTY AND THE BEAST JR as well as plans for presenting our productions of INTO THE WOODS JR , FROZEN JR and RAGTIME. We have put together what we hope you will find to be a very cautious and safe plan for both rehearsals and performances ensuring our community’s ability to put on socially-distanced in-person performances. While students aren’t able to take part in traditional theatre in school and elsewhere we are committed to providing a place where in-person collaboration and creation can take place; and safely. 

With this opening comes great responsibilities for all of us. Please take the time to read through and familiarize your student with OVATIONS THEATRE’s new safety policies and procedures for in-person performances. We expect all parents, students, and production members to review these guidelines to ensure that everyone is on the same page and that we are all taking the precautions necessary to keep everyone healthy. We appreciate your patience, understanding, and cooperation as we all work together to keep our environment safe.

MARYLAND STATE & CDC GUIDELINES

OVATIONS THEATRE follows all Maryland State and CDC guidelines. Depending on the circumstances, we may need to go back to virtual-only classes. All parents, students, and production teams should be fully prepared for this. The tuition for this year has been decreased to account for this possibility; we will not be offering refunds or credits in the event that we have to move to a virtual presentation.

COVID TESTING & HEALTH SCREENS

1. In-person production staff and students must test negative for the coronavirus within a 10 day period prior to starting in person rehearsals. Test results and test date must be provided to ovationstheatre@gmail.com no more than 10 days prior to their first in-person rehearsals. Additionally a second test must be submitted no more than 10 days prior to the first day of technical rehearsals. 
2. Every family and production member must complete a Covid Liability Release Waiver as part of their registration forms. Families who break the agreement will be dismissed from the production without any refund. 
3. Every week each family and production team member must complete and submit our Covid Questionnaire. Students will not be able to participate in rehearsals or performances if the questionnaire isn’t completed. It’s important that families are honest and upfront and know that their honesty is integral to keeping our students and staff safe as well as able to continue our programming during these unprecedented times. 
4. Any member of the productions, staff or student, who has travelled internationally or out of the state of Maryland will be required to self-quarantine for 14 days before returning to in-person rehearsals. 
5. If your child has underlying health issues, consult your physician for further recommendations on health precautions.

CLEANING & SANITATION 

1. OVATIONS THEATRE will disinfect all surfaces between each rehearsal and performance.
2. There will be no Lost & Found. Any items left behind will be discarded.
3. Hand sanitizer is available throughout and soap is available in the bathroom.

REGISTRATION

In addition to our normal online registration our families will be required to complete a Covid Liability Waiver. Also our Covid Questionnaire must be completed and submitted each week prior to the student’s arrival to in-person rehearsals and/or performances. 

We are expecting all families who want to participate in our spring and summer 2021 programming to follow these steps and to be honest when filling out the questionnaire — the health of others depends on it. 

Depending on the circumstances, families must be prepared for the reality that we may need to transition back to virtual rehearsals or virtual performances at any point depending on Covid related restrictions. If covid restrictions make it unable to have an audience we still plan to perform live and stream our performance. If science dictates that we are unable to perform in-person we will put on a virtual presentation. We will follow Maryland State and CDC guidelines should this be necessary. All parents and students should be fully prepared for this. In the event that we return to virtual-only due to the pandemic, no refunds or credits will be offered; tuition has been discounted because of this possibility.

Below we have laid out our plans for how we are handling our socially distanced rehearsal and performances as well as individual audition notices. Please feel free to reach out with any questions by contacting ovationstheatre@gmail.com.

AMERICAN IDIOT (Senior Company)

Video Auditions Due by Friday, December 11th

Zoom Callbacks will take place on Sunday, December 13th

Rehearsals begin Sunday, January 10th, 2021

Performances April 29- May 2, 2021

INTO THE WOODS JR IN CONCERT (STANDING_O)

Pick up rehearsals May 4 & 5, 2021

Performances Saturday May 8, 2021

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST JR (Junior Company)

Video Auditions due by Sunday, January 3rd , 2021

Zoom Callbacks will take place on Thursday, January 7, 2021

Rehearsals begin Sunday, January 17th, 2021

Performances will take place on May 20-23, 2021

FROZEN JR IN CONCERT (Junior Company)

Pick up rehearsals June 1 & 2, 2021

Performances Saturday June 5, 2021

RAGTIME (Senior Company)

Rehearsals begin Monday, June 21st, 2021

Performances July 15- July 18, 2021

Auditions and rehearsals for both GREEN DAY’S AMERICAN IDIOT and DISNEY’S BEAUTY AND THE BEAST JR are planned to start remotely after the new year and then move to outdoor/in-person with masks as weather/science permits. Rehearsals for INTO THE WOODS JR, FROZEN JR and RAGTIME are currently scheduled to be in-person. 

Students who participate in GREEN DAY’S AMERICAN IDIOT or DISNEY’S BEAUTY AND THE BEAST JR will receive vocal recordings for all group numbers and solo music that they will be responsible for working with a voice teacher. Once weather and science permits we will move to an outdoor, socially-distanced, mask wearing music rehearsals to work music. Dances will be taught both by ZOOM rehearsals and videos to begin. Once weather and science permits we will move to an outdoor, socially-distanced, mask wearing rehearsals where we will clean and shape the musical numbers of the show. Scenes and character work will be discussed initially for both content and staging over zoom and then worked in-person as weather and science permits. 

Students and families will be required to sign a strict social distancing and Covid-19 responsibility agreement. We are limiting our cast to 30 students. Principals will only perform in their principal roles and we may split the ensemble into two separate cast if needed.

HOW WILL PERFORMERS AND STAFF BE SAFE IN REHEARSAL & PERFORMANCE?

Safety and the health of our community is our number one goal. Rehearsals and performances are planned for both virtual and outdoor in-person with mask. If we are unable to have a live audience the cast will perform the show for a live-stream.

 Anyone—whether a student or staff – for rehearsal OR performance — must not come if they are: 

*Running a temperature above 100 degrees F; 

*Experiencing other symptoms of COVID-19 such as cough, chills, or body aches (including headaches); 

*In direct contact with someone suspected of having COVID-19 in the previous 14 days; 

*Recovering from COVID-19 and do not have at least two negative tests indicating that the virus is no longer being carried; or 

*Are unwilling to comply with OVATIONS’s COVID-19 related procedures.

All students and staff will be required to wear a face mask for rehearsals and will have an option of wearing a clear full-face shield or half face shield during performances or a cloth mask. Students must wear face coverings at all times including when they are offstage. Students will have specific spaces where they must sit with face-mask on at all times with the exception of the clear face coverings we will allow students to use  for onstage dress rehearsals and performances.  

HOW WILL AUDIENCE BE SAFE IN PERFORMANCE 

Safety and the health of our community is our number one goal. Audience members will be required to have their temperature checked upon arrival and must wear a face mask at all times. Additionally all audience members will be required to submit contact information should there need to be contact tracing done in association with Covid. We are limiting our audience to 40 audience members per performance.  If Covid causes us NOT to be able to have a live audience the cast will perform the show for a live-stream.

Anyone—whether a student or staff – for rehearsal OR performance — must not come if they are: 

*Running a temperature above 100 degrees F; 

*Experiencing other symptoms of COVID-19 such as cough, chills, or body aches (including headaches); 

*In direct contact with someone suspected of having COVID-19 in the previous 14 days; 

*Recovering from COVID-19 and do not have at least two negative tests indicating that the virus is no longer being carried; or 

*Are unwilling to comply with OVATIONS’s COVID-19 related procedures.