The STP Experience
What can you expect when you join us for a production? Here’s how the summer unfolds.
Registration Fee
There is a registration fee for the program, but it won’t be charged until after you accept a role. Registration fees cover a t-shirt, snacks, activities, cast party costs, and more.
There is a multi-student discount if more than one student in a household participates in the show.
We do NOT want the registration fee to be an obstacle to participation. If it would be an obstacle for your family, please talk with one of the producers (Bill Molino or Jessica Sannito) and we will work with you to ensure you can join us for the summer.
Rehearsals
Rehearsals are held at Saint Bernadette Catholic School. They are generally on weekday evenings, starting around 6 or 6:30 and ending around 9 or 9:30.
We will open the building about 30 minutes before rehearsal starts so you have time to arrive, sign in, and stash your stuff. Please be ready to start warming up at the rehearsal start time given on the calendar.
We will start rehearsing before the school year ends, but school absolutely comes first during that time. If you have a school event or need to study for an exam the next day, we expect you to prioritize that.
Once summer break starts, rehearsals will ramp up. You may not be called to attend every rehearsal at first, but as we get closer to our performance dates, we’ll start calling the entire cast so we can run through the show.
We will not hold rehearsal on July 4th, so you can celebrate Independence Day with your family and friends.
Ticket Sales Weekend
We open public ticket sales two weeks before the show. During that first ticket sales weekend, we sell tickets after every Mass at Saint Bernadette Church.
On Saturday, you will be called in the evening.
On Sunday, you will be called all day. We’ll have breakfast and lunch together that day, with both meals prepared for us by parent volunteers. Between Masses, we’ll do a mix of rehearsal and community-building activities. We’ll end around 6:30, after the final Mass of the day.
We will attend one of the Sunday Masses as a group. If you’re Catholic, it will satisfy your weekly Mass obligation. If you’re not Catholic, we ask you to consider it a cultural learning experience.
Tech Week
Tech Week is when we move all our operations over to Bishop Ireton High School and start rehearsing on the stage in their Garwood Whaley Auditorium. This is our time to get used to the space and to pull together all the elements of the show with the full cast, crew, and orchestra.
Everyone is called, and rehearsals generally begin earlier and end later than they did before. The call time often overlaps with the evening rush hour, so please plan for any extra travel time you may need.
Performances
We do four performances: evening performances on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday as well as a matinee performance on Saturday.
Dinner will be provided on Saturday between the matinee and evening performances. This is usually a potluck organized by parent volunteers.
Strike and Cast Party
Many hands make light work! The day after the final performance is our strike day, followed by the cast party.
We’ll all meet in the morning at Bishop Ireton High School to take down the set, pack up all our stuff, and clean up the areas we used. Our work typically keeps us busy until mid-afternoon.
After strike, you’ll have a chance to go get cleaned up before heading to the cast & crew party. The party is an opportunity to gather together, have fun, and celebrate our success!