​Goal of Festival:  To provide learning experiences in artistic, technical, and management areas through performances, adjudication, workshops, and festival participation; thereby affirming, supporting, and nurturing community theatre companies.

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1. In each OCTA Region, the Regional Representatives will be responsible for seeing that an excerpt Festival is held between two (2) or more competing theatres, so an excerpt may be selected to represent that region at the State Festival.  Without Board approval, no excerpt can be sent to the State if no Regional Festival is held.

 

2. To present at the Regional Festival, all theatres must:

a) Be current paid members of the Ohio Community Theatre Association (renewals paid before May Board meeting).

b) Have opened the production between last year’s Regional Festival and this year’s Regional Festival.

c) Have publicized the production as part of their season.

d) No theatre will be allowed to excerpt more than one (1) production a year in a Regional Festival.

e) Each theatre shall send three (3) copies of the script that are hard copy or electronically provided by the licensing house (no photocopies without written permission of the author or publishing house) to the Regional Rep Chair.  [If it is an original script, then photocopies are acceptable.]  These will be sent to the Responders for reading and will be returned at the Regional, unless your excerpt is invited to the State Conference; then the scripts will be sent to the Responders for the State OCTA Fest and will be returned at that time.

f) Each theatre shall provide a brief synopsis of the total show for the program.  This synopsis shall be no longer than 150 words.

 

3. Excerpts

a) Excerpt material presented must be a continuous (non-edited) excerpt of the published script, unless written permission to edit is received from the publishing company or author and given to the OCTA Fest Chair before the excerpt can be performed.  The same excerpt must be presented if invited to the State, however changes suggested at Regional Festivals by Responders may be incorporated within the original cutting.  If a change in the Regional cast is necessary for the State, a substitution form must be sent to the OCTA Fest Chair prior to the performance.

 

b) No unnecessary substitutions in the cast may be made.  At least 75% of the excerpt cast must be performing in their original roles.  However, if the entire production has a cast of only two (2) or three (3) people, one (1) cast member may be substituted, if necessary.  Only those performing onstage at the festival will be counted for this requirement.  (See Rule 4A & B, in reference to maintaining the integrity of the published script).  If substitutions are made, the Substitution Form must be sent to the Regional Representative at least two (2) weeks prior to the festival.

 

Any emergency substitution(s) from two (2) weeks prior to the festival up to the time of the performance must be approved by the OCTA Fest Chair, by phone, email, or in person at the festival.

 

c) If a theatre is unable to send an excerpt that meets the participation requirement mentioned in Rule #3B, the theatre may appeal to the OCTA Fest Chair at least two (2) weeks prior to the festival for an exemption, by phone or email.  The decision of the OCTA Fest Chair is final.  Alternatively, the theatre may choose to present an excerpt for showcasing only.

 

4. EDITING

a) Excerpts must be performed as written unless permission is received – see Rule #3A.  The time period and gender of characters may not be altered without the express written permission of the author or publishing house.  In either situation, written permission must be presented to OCTA Fest Chair prior to performance of the excerpt.

 

b) Characters may not be combined unless a published addendum or alternate version exists in the script performed, or written permission is granted by the author or publishing house and presented to the OCTA Fest Chair prior to the performance of the excerpt.

 

5. INDIVIDUAL THEATRES ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE LEGAL CLEARANCE OF ALL MATERIALS USED AT BOTH REGIONAL AND STATE FESTIVALS AND WILL VERIFY SAID CLEARANCE TO THE REGIONAL REPRESENTATIVE BEFORE BEING PERMITTED TO PERFORM.  Regional Representatives will present all verifications to the OCTA Fest Chair before the performance.  For convenience, a sample letter and the official warranty form are provided for use in obtaining clearance from the leasing houses, playwright, or publisher.  The Warranty Form ALONG with written confirmation from the author or publishing house is the only acceptable proof of clearance.  In addition, as stated in Rule #3a, if you are editing your excerpt or using music, you must also present your written permission from the author or publishing house for each area to the OCTA Fest Chair.

 

6. Excerpts are limited to a maximum of forty-five (45) minutes, not including an official introduction.  Upon receiving the instruction to begin, each theatre will have forty (40) minutes to set their stage, perform sound checks, and perform.  At the end of forty (40) minutes or the end of the excerpt, whichever comes first, there will be a brief blackout.  This will be followed by lights-up for strike, which must be completed in a maximum of five (5) minutes.  There is no minimum time.  Responders will not comment on anything after the blackout.  The official timer for Regionals shall be provided by the Regional Representatives (or for State by the State Conference Chair).

 

Following the strike period, representatives of the performing theatre will be seated in the house, where the responders will have up to three (3) minutes each to critique the excerpt.  The theatre may choose who will represent them.  This may include the director, producer, cast, designers, and/or crew – at the theatre’s discretion.

 

7. Introduction of all excerpts will be made in a uniform manner by a designated person(s) at each Festival (Regional Representatives or their appointed substitute at Regional Festivals; State OCTA Fest Chair at State Festival) and will be limited to the name of the play and the author, and if the excerpt is showcasing.

 

8. No performer may appear in an excerpt at the festival if he or she receives or will receive compensation for the role in that theatre’s excerpt over and above registration fees.

 

9. It is recommended that each Regional Festival comply with the restrictions used at the State level.  Each excerpt receiving an invitation to perform at the State Festival should keep in mind the physical limitations of stage size and lighting (6 areas).

 

10. Invitees

a) Regions with two (2) to four (4) entries in their Festival will have one (1) excerpt invited to represent the Region at the State Festival.  Regions with five (5) to eight (8) entries in their Festival will have two (2) excerpts invites to represent the Region at the State Festival.  Regions with nine (9) to twelve (12) entries in their Festival will have three (3) excerpts invited to represent the Region at the State Festival.  Regions with thirteen (13) to sixteen (16) entries will have four (4) excerpts invited to represent the Region at the State Festival.  Regions with seventeen (17) or more entries in their Festival will have five (5) excerpts invited to represent the Region at the State Festival.  Any theatres showcasing (i.e. not to be considered as an invitee to the State Festival) will not be included in the number of entries used to determine the number of invitees to represent the Region at the State Festival.

 

i) Any theatre(s) choosing to showcase at the Regional Festival must communicate this to the State OCTA Fest Chair by marking such intention on the entry form.  Should an unforeseen circumstance arise, that would keep a theatre from going to State, it may change its status by notifying the State OCTA Fest Chair prior to the start of the festival.

 

ii)The theatre(s)/production(s) who have chosen to showcase will be announced to the Responders at their initial meeting with the OCTA Fest Chair and shall be identified in the program as a “Showcase Excerpt.”

 

b) In each Region, the Responders must select one (1) alternate excerpt.  Even if two (2) or more excerpts have been invited under Rule 9A, one (1) alternate must be selected.  If an invited excerpt is not able to appear at the State Festival, the alternate from that region will be asked to fill the vacancy.  If that alternate has already been invited, or it cannot attend the State Festival, the vacancy will then be filled by the alternate rotation cycle, as described in Rule 9Ba.

 

i) The OCTA Board recommends that a minimum of fourteen (14) excerpts be chosen to perform at the State Conference.  If the number of theatres selected by the Responders does not equal fourteen (14) or more, then the alternates shall be invited in a rotating order to complete the recommended fourteen (14) performances.  If any Region is not able to fill their invited number of excerpts, the rotation cycle will be used to fill the vacancy, as per Rule 10B.

 

c) The three (3) Responders at the Regional Festival will select the excerpts to be invited to perform at the State Festival.

 

d) Awards for merit, excellent, or outstanding in any or all aspects of the production (i.e. acting, directing, etc.) may be presented at the discretion of the Responders.

 

11. Three (3) qualified Responders will be used.  They will represent a broad range of theatre experience and approach their critiques in a constructive and educational manner.

 

12. Responders shall be thoroughly briefed concerning the Festival Rules, Responders’ criteria, awards, etc., by the OCTA Fest Chair prior to the Regional and State Festivals.

 

13. Time will be provided for the cast to walk the stage.  THIS IS NOT A REHEARSAL TIME.  Exceptions will be made for a safety and/or lift call for those excerpts with stage combat or dance lifts at the discretion of the OCTA Fest Chair.

 

14. Any person attending or participating in any manner in the Regional or State Festival must be a paid registrant of the festival.  If any attendee or participant of any age causes a distraction during an excerpt, that patron may be asked to step outside of the performance area immediately.

 

15. Non-compliance with any rule will result in disqualification by the OCTA Fest Chair.

 

16. Disqualification/Protest/Appeals

a) Protest: Anyone wanting to report a possible rules violation must do so in writing within 60 minutes following the completion of the excerpt in question to the OCTA Fest Chair in charge of that Regional or State Festival.

 

b) Disqualification:  Any excerpt or theatre that is being considered for disqualification for a rule(s) violation will be notified as soon as possible prior to the Appeals Committee meeting.

 

c) Appeals:  The Director, or his/her appointee, and one (1) other representative of the excerpt or theatre may appeal any protest.  Appeals must be made in person the same day as the protest is filed.

 

d) The Appeals Committee:  The Appeals Committee will consist of the OCTA Fest State Chair in charge of the Regional; one (1) OCTA State Board of Directors member, or in cases when a Board of Directors member is unavailable or involved with the excerpt or theatre in question, an appointee of the OCTA Fest Chair; and one (1) Regional Representative of the OCTA Fest Chair’s choosing.

 

e) Appeals Committee members should not be a member of, or part of any excerpt or theatre presenting excerpts at the Regional or State Festival.

 

f) The Appeals Committee will make itself available in an announced meeting place following the last excerpt performed each day to hear the protest and appeal.

 

g) Decisions of Disqualification are the responsibility of the OCTA Fest Chair in charge of the Regional or State Festival and are final.

 

17. Disqualification Proceedings

a) The OCTA Fest Chair will initiate disqualification proceedings for non-compliance with any rule, regardless of whether a formal protest was received or not.

 

b) Disqualifications at Regional means that the excerpt cannot go on to State, but awards can be given.  At State, disqualification means that no awards will be given.

 

c) If a group is disqualified, it will be announced along with the reasons why, before awards are given at the conclusion of the Regional or State Festival.

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