The Homestead Playhouse

Because of the time commitment and the level of focus required for rehearsals and performances we find that children should be at least 8 years old to audition for a Playhouse production. The primary age range of Playhouse participants is 9 to 12 years old.

The Homestead Playhouse will produce one production in the spring.

We invite directors from around the Valley to director our shows. In doing so, performers are able to learn how to adapt to new directors and experience different styles of direction. Each director casts the show independently in their vision.

In general, we do not double cast our productions, meaning we do not have two performers for each role. However, depending on the production’s needs, some performers are cast in more than one role.

An email is sent to parents after auditions and call backs have concluded, offering the actor a particular role. The parent must reply accepting or declining the role. All actors who have auditioned will be emailed whether or not they are cast.

Every show requires a different number of performers and each show has a variety of character needs. For example, a character might have a strong, domineering presence, so the director might look for a performer who is larger and more outgoing by nature. In other words, the director looks for performers that will best fit the role. If a child is not cast in the play or in the role he or she had hoped for, it does not mean the child is not a talented performer.

In addition, we try to produce plays that have 25 to 40 roles available for children. Depending on the numbers, we may be able to cast most children who audition. However, if 70 children audition and only 30 parts are available, 40 children will not get a role in the production.

If your child is not cast or does not get the role he or she desired, it can be disappointing. This feeling is normal and sooner or later all performers experience the letdown of not getting cast in a show. We encourage parents and children to look at the experience as a valuable learning opportunity and come back and try again the next time.

We do not offer private acting classes or coaching. We do offer summer and fall programming where performance skills are taught during week-long camps.

The participation fee covers acting instruction, performer’s script, costume (except shoes), commemorative show t-shirt, dinner on performance days, and a participation award presented at the cast party.

If you feel like the participation fee will create a financial hardship please come talk to us. We can always use your help in other ways. Previously, parents have organized the cast party or volunteered in other capacities to reduce the fee.

We need at least one parent and the performer in attendance at the Parent/Performer Orientation. This is your chance to meet the production team and other cast members and get important information. Since each show is different, we ask that you attend even if you have been to an orientation for a previous production.

In general, we rehearse Tuesdays, Thursdays, and/or Fridays for two or three hours. Depending on the show and the director’s schedule, rehearsals start sometime between 4 and 5 p.m. At times, only characters in a certain scene might be called to rehearsal. A rehearsal schedule will be provided to each performer. It is important to review this each week to know when your child is expected at rehearsal.

We provide the costume for each performer. At times we may need something that you likely already have at your house such as a white t-shirt or black pants to help make the costume complete. We ask that you provide your performers shoes for the show — generally black or tan dance shoes, like jazz or ballet shoes.

We need volunteers to make our productions possible and ask that parents plan to sign up for at least one or two volunteer jobs. These include, but are not limited to, helping backstage during shows, picking up/serving dinner during production week, and front-of-house assistance such as ushering.

Photography or videography is not allowed during performances. Instead, you can purchase photos and/or a DVD recording of the performance. There are instances where certain shows licenses do not allow live recordings at all. In those cases we do not record or sell DVDs of the performance.

We have a small cast party and awards ceremony immediately after the last performance.

Generally, tickets go on sale one month before the performance dates. We have an online ticket system that allows you to purchase tickets from home. All ticket sales are final and no refunds are given. If you have tickets that you do not need, we encourage you to find someone to purchase them from you. If you cannot attend the show on the day you have tickets, you may be able to attend another show depending on availability of seats. We ask that you check online to see if seats are still available before requesting to exchange your seats.