Community Theater Green Room Discussion Board: safe practices for adult and youth casts

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kaygreen
Walk-On
Walk-On

Joined: 7/12/08
Location: United States
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 0

Topic: safe practices for adult and youth casts
Posted: 10/04/08 at 2:52pm

Does anyone have guidelines about safe practices for shows that involve youth and adults, that you could either post or point to?

We would like to include them as a regular part of our information provided to new cast and directors.

If you don't have these guidelines written out, how is your CT addressing this issue?

We have background checks done on our director and board members/producer (generally they are the same people); in addition, we want to have practices in place for all the cast and other volunteers.

Thanks for your help / input.

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Darren
Player
Player

Joined: 6/11/07
Location: United States
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 17

Posted: 10/15/08 at 11:46pm

I don't have anything written, but I can offer some suggestions. It would be a good practice if a child was never left alone with one person. There should always be a stage manager or asst. stage manager around. If possible, maybe even have a parent volunteer at all rehearsals to help watch and round up the kids. In my experience, kids need to be watched right through high school anyway. I'd also have a separate dressing room for kids if possible.

If you don't have anything yet, do a search for theater's volunteer guidelines. Some should have language about all volunteers including actors, the production team, the crew, etc. being subject to background checks. This doesn't mean that you have to run a check on everyone, but it lets them know that it can be done.

Darren Farrington
Theater Management and Production Consultant
www.darrenfarrington.com

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Debflo
Star
Star

Joined: 6/06/07
Location: United States
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 60

Posted: 10/16/08 at 6:03pm

I agree with Darren. The always have 2 adults rule is a good one. I've also seen theatres where for every 6 kids there must be another adult (in addition to the 2 already) so if you had a cast of 12 you would have 4 adults. Parents are usually the best resource for this, as a lot of time they have to do the driving anyway :)

Check out The Denver Theatre Examiner! http://www.examiner.com/x-474-Denver-Theater-Examiner

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Stageref
Player
Player

Joined: 7/30/08
Location: United States
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 13

Posted: 10/31/08 at 5:23pm

Good idea Debflo. We call the extra adults kid-wranglers. :)

Stageref.com
The new, free, on-line social experience of community theater productions and people

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dexter74656
Lead
Lead

Joined: 12/29/06
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 36

Posted: 11/03/08 at 9:26am

I always send home a contract with all participants in our shows regardless of age - just getting their signature on something, aside from all the legal mumbo jumbo about liability, but to confirm that they know the commitment they're making to our organization.

But more importantly, for those participants under the age of 18, I require a parent signature as well in order to confirm that the parents *also* understand the commitment their children are getting into and the expectations that I/the company has of them.

I also strongly agree with never leaving a single child and a single adult alone because then it becomes one word against another's word. I had a male driver's ed teacher in HS that would not have a problem driving himself and a male student alone in the car, but would never put himself in the position of himself and a single female student. It all depends on your community and how well you know the child/families involved. With our productions, the community is small enough and the staff makes an effort to get to know the parents of our younger participants that it's never something I've been terribly worried about. But it's always better to err on the side of caution.

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Running Your Theater
Community Theater Green Room Discussion Board :Theater Administration :Running Your Theater

Topic: safe practices for adult and youth casts( Topic Closed)

Author	Message
kaygreen Walk-On Joined: 7/12/08 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 0	Topic: safe practices for adult and youth casts Posted: 10/04/08 at 2:52pm
	Does anyone have guidelines about safe practices for shows that involve youth and adults, that you could either post or point to? We would like to include them as a regular part of our information provided to new cast and directors. If you don't have these guidelines written out, how is your CT addressing this issue? We have background checks done on our director and board members/producer (generally they are the same people); in addition, we want to have practices in place for all the cast and other volunteers. Thanks for your help / input.

	IP Logged

Darren Player Joined: 6/11/07 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 17	Posted: 10/15/08 at 11:46pm
	I don't have anything written, but I can offer some suggestions. It would be a good practice if a child was never left alone with one person. There should always be a stage manager or asst. stage manager around. If possible, maybe even have a parent volunteer at all rehearsals to help watch and round up the kids. In my experience, kids need to be watched right through high school anyway. I'd also have a separate dressing room for kids if possible. If you don't have anything yet, do a search for theater's volunteer guidelines. Some should have language about all volunteers including actors, the production team, the crew, etc. being subject to background checks. This doesn't mean that you have to run a check on everyone, but it lets them know that it can be done.
	Darren Farrington Theater Management and Production Consultant www.darrenfarrington.com
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Debflo Star Joined: 6/06/07 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 60	Posted: 10/16/08 at 6:03pm
	I agree with Darren. The always have 2 adults rule is a good one. I've also seen theatres where for every 6 kids there must be another adult (in addition to the 2 already) so if you had a cast of 12 you would have 4 adults. Parents are usually the best resource for this, as a lot of time they have to do the driving anyway :)
	Check out The Denver Theatre Examiner! http://www.examiner.com/x-474-Denver-Theater-Examiner
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Stageref Player Joined: 7/30/08 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 13	Posted: 10/31/08 at 5:23pm
	Good idea Debflo. We call the extra adults kid-wranglers. :)
	Stageref.com The new, free, on-line social experience of community theater productions and people
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dexter74656 Lead Joined: 12/29/06 Online Status: Offline Posts: 36	Posted: 11/03/08 at 9:26am
	I always send home a contract with all participants in our shows regardless of age - just getting their signature on something, aside from all the legal mumbo jumbo about liability, but to confirm that they know the commitment they're making to our organization. But more importantly, for those participants under the age of 18, I require a parent signature as well in order to confirm that the parents also understand the commitment their children are getting into and the expectations that I/the company has of them. I also strongly agree with never leaving a single child and a single adult alone because then it becomes one word against another's word. I had a male driver's ed teacher in HS that would not have a problem driving himself and a male student alone in the car, but would never put himself in the position of himself and a single female student. It all depends on your community and how well you know the child/families involved. With our productions, the community is small enough and the staff makes an effort to get to know the parents of our younger participants that it's never something I've been terribly worried about. But it's always better to err on the side of caution.
	IP Logged