FACILITIES

 

CLARK ARTS BUIDLING GUIDELINES
Please remember that although you will spend most of your time here, we are not the only ones using the Clark Arts Center. The other frequent users of this building are: the Fine Arts department, rental contractors, patrons and prospective students with their families. Clark Arts is one of the highest traffic areas on campus. Please keep the following in mind when using our facilities in order to help us maintain a positive experience for other departments and visitors.

Scripts – A supply of the scripts for the productions being produced each year may be available in the Howard Coleman Library for the week prior to auditions. These scripts may be checked out on an four hour time frame only. This is a special consideration given to the students to help in the audition process. These scripts will be used for each production after casting.

Phones – The scene shop phone is not to be used by anyone other than the staff, faculty, or authorized student workers for approved purposes. Local and on-campus phone calls can be made from the scene shop phone with permission from the Technical Director. Personal long distance calls are prohibited.

Stage Management Office – The purpose of the Stage Management Office is to facilitate the needs of the Performing Arts Department personnel and productions. As a student, you should be equipped with the appropriate supplies to function in a college environment. Some resources are available in the Stage Management Office for the benefit of all members of the Performing Arts Department and should remain in that location (this includes pens, staplers, etc.)

Copy Machines – Clark Arts has two copiers located in room 109 on the first floor, one of which is capable of also scanning or faxing documents. These copiers are for class and production needs ONLY. Due to past abuse, students may not make copies for personal reasons on these copy machines. This includes use for Three-Penny productions, Regent Players, outside jobs, etc. There will be no exceptions. There are various copy machines located in the library or through the copy center that can be used for personal reasons. Please report any problems such as jamming, error codes, out of toner or paper to the Box Office on the second floor. Do not leave the copier out of order for the next person to deal with. If no one is in the box office, please leave a note on the dry erase board on the door or send an email to BoxOffice@Rockford.edu. Also, please do not leave papers lying around after you are finished with the copiers. The room has a paper recycle bin located next to the door. Recycle what you don’t need and take the rest with you. Items found around the copiers will be either thrown away or turned into lost and found.

Lobby – The lobby is often used as a social area for many. Please remember there are offices nearby—please use your “inside voices.” It is also helpful if you return the furniture as you found it and remember to throw away all trash when finished with it. There are trash and recycle bins located conveniently throughout the building. Personal items left laying around will be sent to lost and found at the mail desk in Burpee.

Practice Rooms – Music practice rooms are located in Clark Arts Center along the hall next to the Dance Studio (opposite the hall where the bathrooms are located). These rooms are open whenever Clark Arts is open. They are intended only for students that are enrolled in private lessons for the semester. Students not enrolled in private lessons may use available practice rooms to prepare for other RU coursework or to prepare for auditions for RU productions. However, precedence will be given to students enrolled in lessons. If there are issues with the practice rooms or if you identify someone using the practice rooms that do not meet the above criteria, please alert a faculty or staff member.

Practice room usage is a privilege, and it is imperative that the rooms and the equipment in the rooms (including pianos) be treated with the utmost care and used only for music practice. Privileges will be revoked for any student abusing the practice rooms or the pianos. Due to Title IV laws you are not permitted to cover the windows of the practice rooms or lock the doors while in use.

Pianos – Pianos are one of the single most expensive pieces of equipment that the department owns. They are expensive to purchase and expensive to maintain. It goes without saying that students, faculty, and staff treat these instruments with great care and respect! Please keep the following guidelines in mind when using one of the pianos on campus:

Piano/Practice Room Guidelines:

  1. Practice rooms are to be used only by students that are enrolled in private lessons. Students not enrolled in private lessons may use available practice rooms to prepare for other RU coursework or to prepare for auditions for RU productions. However, precedence will be given to students enrolled in lessons.
  2. Please limit your use of a practice room to 60 minutes at any one time so that others may have the chance to practice, too.
  3. Practice rooms should only be used for practicing music. Please find another space if you are studying something other than music.
  4. Do not ever SIT on a piano. This is the quickest way to damage it.
  5. Do not set any beverage or food item on a piano. If the drink were to spill into the keyboard, significant damage would be done.
  6. Do not MOVE the piano. This affects the tuning of the piano and may result in a broken wheel or piano leg.
  7. Do not BANG on the piano. This, too, affects the tuning of the piano…and annoys those around you.
  8. Only play the piano with clean hands…greasy or sticky fingers on the keyboard or wood will shorten the lifespan of the piano. And, it’s disgusting to the next person who plays the instrument.
  9. If everyone shows considerable care and respect for the pianos in Clark Arts, the instruments will last a long time and the maintenance costs will be kept to a minimum. This goes for ALL the pianos on campus.

Room Reservations – The usage of the Dance Studio, Room #210, Room #208 and Maddox and Cheek Theatres are available for use and are regulated by scheduling services, the Box Office Manager and the Technical Director. To schedule time in either the Maddox or Cheek theatres, you must go through the Technical Director. For the Dance Studio and room #210, you can sign up through the Box Office Manager. Any other rooms outside of Clark Arts must be arranged with Scheduling Services.

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BOX OFFICE GUIDELINES

Theatre Arts students wishing to purchase tickets:

  • All Rockford University students receive one complimentary ticket for each production.
  • Students who are cast in a production or working crew will receive three “cast comp” tickets for any of the performances which they are working.
  • The Box Office cannot guarantee seating for any performance without previous reservations. Please help us serve you better by inviting and scheduling your guests ahead of time.
  • Tickets go on sale a month before the production.
  • The Box Office is open from 2:00–5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. On show days, the Box Office opens one hour prior to performance time until after intermission.

Ticket prices: Adults $12, Seniors (55+) $9, Students $9
Group rates: $5 for groups of 8+

Forum Series
All Full-time Rockford University students must attend at least two Forum Series events per semester in order to meet graduation requirements. Attendance cards are handed out as you walk into the event for you to fill out and hand in to a Forum Committee Member as you leave at the end of the program. No Forum cards will be distributed after the event has begun. No Forum credit for late arrival or early departure.

  • Most events are free to students and the public. In the rare case that an event is not free to the public, as a Rockford University student, you are entitled to one free ticket when you present your Rockford University ID.
  • Theatre productions that are held in Maddox Theatre. If you are cast in the show or are running crew or stage managing, you will receive Forum Credit for that particular event but you must fill out a Forum attendance card (see Box Office Manager prior to the end of show run).

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KEYS
Keys will not be issued to assistants on a permanent school year basis. Each individual holding a technical position for the current production will be issued a ring of keys appropriate for that position. These keys will be issued only for the time needed (run of show, design, project, etc.). These keys are issued to one person, and under no circumstances should they be passed on to someone else.

The Technical Director will distribute these rings to the appropriate individuals. The rings will be signed out to one individual and must be returned to the Technical Director, personally, at the end of Strike. Any rings not returned at this time will be charged a fee of $10.00 per day that they remain out. UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES ARE KEYS TO BE REMOVED FROM THESE RINGS.

Students who have keys will be responsible for those areas to which access has been granted. The faculty and staff offices in Performing Arts are open Monday through Friday. They are not to be entered after this time without express consent. The offices are also not to be entered without a faculty or staff member present. The Theatre Arts Office is to remain intact at all times – nothing is to be removed from this office unless approval is given by the faculty or staff member who is present at the time. The office is to be returned to complete and original working order immediately.

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STORAGE ACCESS PROCEDURES

Props, Furniture, Stock Storage
The storage areas have all been cleaned, organized, and labeled. With your help, we can keep all of the Performing Arts Department’s belongings in good condition while allowing you the access you need. When you need to use any of the departmental material for a production or for class work, please adhere to the following guidelines:

  • Access to the space will be limited. You MUST make arrangements in advance with the TD or ATD to get access to the storage spaces.
  • When pulling props/furniture, you MUST fill out a “Student Props-Furniture Check out” form COMPLETELY. This includes the item number, location (row/shelf), and description of item. Once these forms are filled out, they must be given to the TD or ATD.
  • All items borrowed must be returned in their original condition. Absolutely NO altering of materials is allowed without prior consent of the TD or ATD. We understand accidents may happen which prevents you from returning an item in its original condition. In that situation, please notify the TD or ATD of the incident so the item can be repaired/replaced in a timely manner.
  • All props being returned are to be placed on the shelf outside of the props cage. The TD, ATD, or scene shop student workers will be responsible for returning the items to their proper location (this is why it is imperative you fill out your form completely).
  • All furniture/stock pieces are to be returned to their original location by you. This includes making sure it is returned in a neat and orderly way (not just stuffed wherever is convenient).
  • Check out forms, master lists, inventory pictures, and other pertinent information will be located on the wall outside of the storage entrance in the Cheek hallway or on the wall with the student mailboxes in the Green Room.
  • This information is also always available from the TD or ATD.

If you fail to follow any of these guidelines, there will be consequences that can range from verbal warning, lower of class grade, to loss of privilege to use the materials. We all must share in the responsibility of maintaining our equipment.

Costume Storage
For access to storage to borrow costumes for departmental purposes, please set up an appointment with the Costume Shop Supervisor.

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LIBRARIES

Howard Coleman Library:
The library is located in the center of the college campus. The library has a fine collection of plays and texts on acting, directing and the process of theatre as well as a fine collection of music texts, biographies, CDs, DVDs, art song repertoire books and opera scores.

Clark Arts Script Library:
The library is located on the second floor of Clark Arts in room 212C. Please check the door for the scheduled times the library will be open. Since the library is manned by theatre work study students, then the times the library will be open are subject to the work study students’ academic schedules. Typical script library hours will be between will vary depending on the schedules of the students. If you need access to the script library and it is not open, please see the Technical Director for access.

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HEADSHOTS AND BIOS
Each cast member and the stage manager will get their headshot and bio published in the theatre program which they are involved. You will receive a packet from your Stage Manager at first rehearsal which will include the following:

  • A bio form that will show your bio as it will appear in the program unless we receive your changes by the deadline given in the packet.
  • A preview of your headshot as it will appear in the program unless we receive an updated image by the deadline given in the packet. It is your responsibility to supply us with your headshot. Failure to supply it by the deadline will result in no headshot in the program. Please remember, the image will only be as good as the original you turn in. Supply a digital JPEG in no less than 300 DPI. We also accept PDF files. Please ask the Box Office Manager for help if needed.

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EXPENSE REIMBURSEMENTS
From time to time, students may spend their own money for Performing Arts Department production expenses. When this occurs, the student must go through the expense reimbursement process to have that money returned to them. An Expense Report form can be found online on the Business Office Portal page or through the Technical Director. This must be filled out and signed by the student. The receipt(s) must be attached to this form and it should be turned in to the Technical Director or Box Office Manager as soon as possible. Once the form is authorized for reimbursement by the Chair of the Department, it will be submitted to the Business Office for processing. Checks are issued each Thursday and generally will be distributed through campus mail (unless otherwise specified). When possible, the petty cash system should be used instead of this reimbursement system. Tax exempt forms MUST be used. They can be obtained on the Business Office Portal page or through the Technical Director or Box Office Manager. If tax is paid on items, that cost will not be reimbursed.

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EXTRACURRICULAR AND OFF-CAMPUS ACTIVITIES
It is the primary responsibility of the Performing Arts faculty to facilitate the student’s growth, artistically and academically. To ensure a healthy balance of academic and artistic activities, all participation during the academic year in off-campus activities (off-campus jobs, shows, etc.) must be approved in advance by the faculty. Students who wish to participate in extracurricular activities on campus (student government, sports, etc.) are asked to use their best judgment, and remember that academics and departmental obligations are priorities. Students who are considering participation of any kind are encouraged to consult with his/her professors and the Chair of the Department prior to making a commitment.

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