Playground Stage Policies

Registration

How do I register my child for a class?

All registration can be completed online at www.playgroundstage.org, over the phone during business hours (828) 537-5050, or in person at a registration event.

Confirmation of Registration 

Registration is not complete until payment for the class is made in full. If you have not paid for the class in full your child’s spot in the class is not confirmed. You will receive email communication from our registration system Jumbula after an online or phone registration has been received. Playground Stage will contact registrants one week prior to the start of class with a welcome email. If you did not receive a payment confirmation or a welcome letter one week prior to class please call us and confirm that you have successfully registered. 828-537-5050

Refunds

We do not offer refunds if a student cancels within two weeks of a class start. If a student withdrawals two or more weeks before the start of class credit will be given to use toward another session of class or can be turned into a tax deductible gift.

If class is cancelled due to weather or the closing of businesses and schools in cases like the COVID-19 Pandemic, class will be re-scheduled or held online. We cannot offer refunds after a class has started.

Pick Up

Students must be picked up immediately at the conclusion of class by an individual authorized on their registration form or communicated to the instructor or administration prior to pick up time. If students are not picked up within 15 minutes of the end of class there will be a $5.00 per minute charge to cover the time of the instructor to sit with your student. Our instructors have families and other jobs that they are responsible to and they cannot leave their students unattended after their class. Please be respectful of them by picking your student up on time. If any student is picked up more than 15 minutes late three times that student will be prohibited from participating in the rest of the program without a refund.

Waitlist

If a class is full a waitlist may be implemented. You will be contacted if a spot becomes available in the class. No payment is required for a spot on the waitlist.

Class Size

Class size is capped between 10-20 students per instructor. This allows each student to have adequate stage time and individual instruction.

Attendance

Theatre is a team sport and missing a class or rehearsal will not only put you behind but also hinder your fellow performers from rehearsing at their best. If your child will be missing a class please contact us prior so that the instructor can best prepare for that absence. If a student misses 30% or more of the rehearsals or classes it is at the discretion of the instructor whether that student will perform in any/all of the final performance. 

Class Dress Code

Playground Stage adheres to the dress code policies in each school in which we serve. We do not require students to have special clothes or shoes for class, rather we want our students to be comfortable and to express themselves in the same way they would when they are at school. Below are some helpful tips to best be prepared to be in a theatre class.

Shoes - Theatre is done best in shoes that will stay on your feet while doing silly things like dancing, skipping, and jumping. Closed toe shoes are safest when working on a stage or with heavy props.

Clothes - Comfortable clothes that fit well and are weather appropriate will help you be a better performer by allowing you to focus on your craft rather than your clothes. You never know when you need to strike a crazy pose so clothes that allow you to move freely are best.

Hair - We love all types of hairstyles and we want you to feel your best when you are performing. For rehearsal we want our performers to focus on acting and not their hair - wear your hair in a way that makes you feel comfortable and helps you focus on class.

Behavior and Class Etiquette

Playground Stage supports each school we serve in their behavior policies and school rules. Each instructor will set the rules and guidelines at the beginning of the first class. Any behavior that conflicts with the harmony of class and the ability for the instructor to teach will be brought to the attention of the parent after a warning has been given to the student. Playground Stage reserves the right to dismiss a student from class without a refund for multiple infractions or any behavior that becomes a safety concern for students or instructors.

Casting

In some of our programs students will be given a role to play. All students signed up for the class will have a role with at least three lines to be spoken solo by the student for the audience. Casting decisions happen after the first day of class. Casting will not be reconsidered after casting is announced. Casting will not be disclosed to anyone except staff before the class announcement. 

What to do when your child is not cast in the role they want

Let’s face it, we can’t all be Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz, that’s not how theatre works and that is not how the world works. At Playground Stage we strive to teach 21st century skills to children through theatre. How to handle disappointment is a difficult lesson to learn and a skill that many don’t learn until they are adults. Accepting a role they may not have wanted teaches our young performers to function as a team, manage expectations, try new things, discover new talents, and learn the all important lesson that they may need more practice before they get the big part. It is heartbreaking both as a parent and instructor when a child is disappointed with their role but we must be role models for them by respecting the instructor’s professional decision and remind our children that there will always be a next time and we must be happy for our friends that did get the part. We have seen hundreds of children not get the part, and the actors who learned how to embrace disappointment certainly got more out of their time in theatre class.  Speaking as an actor who didn’t get the part every time - I am better for it and I am grateful for the opportunity to practice dealing with the word NO because it doesn’t stop after childhood. 

- Executive Director Leslie Putnam

Memorization of Lines, Solos, and Blocking

Our instructors will provide as much time and support as possible to help students learn their part but it is up to the individual student to memorize their lines, solos, and blocking. There will not be homework assigned but working on memorization at home, in the car, and during free time will help your student get the most out of theatre class.

Costumes, Props, and Scenery

Playground Stage provides all costumes, props, and scenery that an instructor requests for each class, play, and musical. Parents and guardians are not required to buy anything extra for their student to perform. Costumes, props, and scenery are certainly an exciting part of theatre but are not required if the instructor decides that a student or group of students cannot treat the provided items with care and professionalism that is required by an actor. Costumes are provided to help the actor bring their character to life - actors do not get to decide what their costumes look like. In theatre there is a costume designer who with the director decides what the costume should look like for each character. Students are encouraged to act like professional actors when approaching costumes - this means thanking the designer, taking care of the costume, wearing the costume the way it is intended, and returning it after the show is over in the original way it was found (i.e. hung up and neat). Clothing can be a big issue when working with children - our instructors are here to help your child feel comfortable in their costume by making sure that everything fits, and that the child understands why their costume looks the way it does. Instructors, directors, and costume designers will not entertain changes to costumes by parents and will only discuss costumes with their actors in order to help the actors understand the costume choices.

Under-dress

Students will be required to wear a base layer under their costumes that we at Playground Stage call Under-dress. This helps all actors feel comfortable during costume changing due to the limited space available backstage for changing rooms. Each student may have a different requirement for their individual costume but usually under-dress consists of shorts, t-shirts, tank tops, leggings, leotards, etc. We want the children to use what is already in their closets for their under-dress and do not require parents to buy new clothes. We will always ask students to bring their own shoes.

Performances

All performances  will be announced at the start of the class session and are subject to change due to weather. We do not require parents to buy tickets to see their child perform. Family and friends are invited but be mindful of the performance space and the pressure your child feels when a lot of friends and family are invited to watch them. Please also be mindful of recording performances - we don’t mind if you record your child’s performance but they did not work hard to perform for a camera - they want to perform for you - theatre is most memorable when it is seen in person and not through a small screen.