RULES AND REGULATIONS

Click here to download the Rules & Regulations (PDF)
Click here for complete 2012 Shuler Hensley Awards rehearsal schedule (PDF)

I.    Program Participation

A.    The Shuler Hensley Awards will be held on Tuesday, April 17, 2012, at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre.

B.    The Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre Foundation promotes program participation to public and private high schools throughout the state of Georgia.  There is no application or participation fee.

C.    NEW THIS YEAR! The Shuler Awards will accept 45 Georgia high schools for program participation.  Participation applications will be accepted on a first come, first serve basis. All subsequent applicants will be added to a waiting list in order of receipt.  Waiting list applicants will be admitted to the official participant list upon the withdrawal of a registered applicant.

D.    NEW THIS YEAR! Participating schools must complete, print (for school records) and submit the online Shuler Hensley Awards Registration Form by Friday, September 9, 2011. The Registration Form (i.e. “the short form”) guarantees school participation for the first 45 registered schools. This form provides the Shuler staff with general information about each school and its school musical. Schools do not have to provide all the production details about their musical until four weeks prior to their first performance.

E.    Participating schools must also complete, print (for school records) and submit the online Production Application (i.e. “the long form”) no later than four weeks prior to each school production.

F.    Each school production must be a full-length musical theater production and take place within the program’s adjudication period: September 1, 2011 through March 24, 2012.

G.    Each participating school may invite two students to take part in the Shuler Student Ensemble. Freshman, sophomores, juniors, and seniors are eligible to participate. The Shuler Student Ensemble is designed to celebrate and represent Chorus Ensemble members from each school musical.

II.    Shuler Student Ensemble

A.    Each participating school may select 2 students from their Shuler Awards adjudicated musical to participate in the Shuler Ensemble. Freshman, sophomores, juniors, and seniors are eligible to participate.

i.    Ensemble students must be cast members in the participating school’s Shuler adjudicated musical.

ii.    In order to ensure the success of this program and fairness to dedicated student participants, Ensemble members MUST be available to participate in ALL of the scheduled Ensemble rehearsals. There will be NO exceptions to this rule – please select students who are available and willing to make the commitment. (Note: While seniors are natural leaders and experienced with the rehearsal process, they are often over-committed with college visits and various senior activities.)

iii.    May not have the lead role in his/her Shuler adjudicated school musical – e.g. may not be eligible for the Leading Actor or Leading Actress Shuler Award.

iv.    Ensemble members must wear their school musical costume for the Shuler Awards. Costumes must be available to Ensemble members from late February through April 18, 2012.

v.    All Shuler Student Ensemble students must complete, print (for his/her records), and submit the online Student Information Form.

vi.    Visit the new Shuler Student Ensemble page for more information and rehearsal schedules: www.shulerawards.org/ensemble.

III.    Shuler Scholarships

A.    Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre Foundation will award scholarships to outstanding students participating in the Shuler Awards.  Scholarship recipients will be announced on April 17, 2012.

B.    The Shuler Scholarship Committee consists of selected Cobb Energy Centre administrative and education staff, Foundation board members, and arts and education community leaders.

C.    Scholarship applications and accompanying materials must be submitted online and via email by 5 pm on Friday, March 16, 2012.

D.    Scholarship guidelines are available online at www.shulerawards.org/scholarship.

IV.    Communication

A.    All Shuler Hensley Awards correspondence will be addressed to the designated school contact person.  It is vital that this person have access to email and phone between now and the Shuler Awards.

B.    The school contact person must return all forms by the deadline indicated on each form

C.    Important deadlines are located on the Participating School Checklist. Please download this form for your records.

V.    Adjudication & Evaluation Procedures (NEW THIS YEAR!)

A.    For full description of adjudication and evaluation procedures, please refer to the Criteria section on the Shuler Awards website.

B.    To fairly evaluate each musical, adjudicators must attend school performances anonymously. Please reserve 6 seats labeled “reserved” for the adjudicators and his/her guest. Do not indicate in writing or verbally that the seats are reserved for Shuler Awards adjudicators.

C.    Do not provide refreshments, gifts, supplies, etc. to the adjudicators.

D.    Schools must provide one adult representative available to the adjudicators before, at intermission, and following the performance. The adult representative should be able to answer general adjudicator questions.

E.    Please provide a private room or area for the adjudicators to meet during intermission and/or post-performance. Water is appreciated but not required during these meetings.

VI.    Award Category Rules

A.    The Shuler Hensley Awards encourage participating schools to use readily available school resources (i.e. faculty and students).  The use of a person (e.g. “guest artist”) other than a faculty member and/or student will disqualify the school from that category (details indicated below). However, using, a guest artist for an individual category will not affect the school Overall Production score. For example, using a guest artist choreographer will disqualify a school from the Choreography category, but not from the Chorus Ensemble category or the Overall Production category.

B.    Direction: Schools that use a professional/guest director (someone other than a faculty member and/or student from its school) do not qualify for the Direction award.

C.    Choreography: Schools that use a professional/guest choreographer (someone other than a faculty member and/or student from its school) do not qualify for the Choreography award.

D.    Musical Direction: Schools that use a professional/guest musical director (someone other than a faculty member and/or student from its school) do not qualify for the Musical Direction award.

E.    Scenic Design: Schools that use a professional/guest scenic designer (someone other than a faculty member and/or student from its school) do not qualify for the Scenic Design award.   Only student or school faculty scenic designers are eligible for an award.  Parents of a student participating in the production may participate in the construction or building of scenery or props.  Schools that rent more than 30% of their scenery or props do not qualify for the Scenic Design award.

F.    Lighting Design: Schools that use a professional/guest lighting designer (someone other than a faculty member and/or student from its school) do not qualify for the Lighting Design award.

G.    Orchestra: 10% of each school production orchestra may consist of professional/guest musicians (e.g. 1 professional/guest per every 10 students/faculty members).  Schools that use more than 10% professional/guest musicians (someone other than a faculty member and/or student from its school) do not qualify for the Orchestra award.

H.    Costume Design: Schools that use a professional costume designer (someone other than a faculty member and/or student from its school) do not qualify for the Costume Design award.   Only student or school faculty costume designers are eligible for the Costume Design award.  Parents of a student participating in the production may participate in the construction or building of costumes.  Schools that rent more than 30% of their costumes do not qualify for the Costume Design award.

I.    Actors: Schools that use a professional/guest actor (someone other than student from its school) do not qualify for the acting awards.  Faculty members are not eligible for acting awards but may perform in school musicals. (Acting categories: Leading Actress/Actor, Supporting Actress/Actor, Featured Actor)

VII.    Program Advertisement

A.    The Shuler Awards provide each participating school with a Shuler Awards advertisement and request that each school place this ad in their musical playbill/program.

i.  CLICK HERE to download the Shuler program ad. (2MB PDF file)

VIII.    NEW THIS YEAR! Orchestra/Conductor Musical Scores

A.    Licensing arrangements will be made through the Shuler Awards with the various publishing houses for participating schools to retain their music without charge through May 2012. Each school must provide the Shuler staff a copy of the musical orchestra and conductor scores immediately following the close of their production. 

B.    Schools may mail or deliver scores to the Cobb Energy Centre Administration Office c/o Courtney Reed (address below).

C.    Each school has the opportunity to be nominated and perform at the Shuler Awards. Therefore, along with the musical scores, each school must include the song names and page numbers for its Shuler Awards music selections for the following categories: Overall Production, Leading Actress, and Leading Actor.

D.    Musical scores will be available for pick-up in the Cobb Energy Centre lobby immediately following the Shuler Awards on April 17, 2012. 

IX.    Online Information

A.    To help promote each high school’s dedication to arts education, the Shuler Awards will post their school musical production information on the Shuler website calendar.  Please submit the following information to Tom Rowland, Director of Marketing, by September 30, 2011.  School musical information can be updated throughout the season:

i.    Musical title

ii.    High-resolution .PDF or .jpg of musical poster, if available

iii.   Musical dates & times for complete run of show

iv.   Link to school theater page or school website

v.    Link to purchase tickets or information on how to purchase tickets

vi.   Link to school driving directions or school place page

vii.  Link to contact information or school main phone

X.    School Production Materials

A.    DVD:

i.    Each participating school must provide a DVD of its production for inclusion in the Shuler Hensley Awards.  This video will be used for archival and specific evaluation purposes.  Production DVDs must be received within five business days after the school production.

ii.    Each participating school must provide a clear video recording of its production. All images and sounds must be clear. One still camera shot from the back of the room is preferred.  A professionally produced video is NOT required.  School musicals are NOT evaluated based on the quality of their production DVD.

B.    Photos: Each participating school must email Courtney Reed 1-5 digital production photos within five business days after its school production. More than five photos will be accepted but are not required. At least one of these digital photos will be included in the Shuler Awards Marquee.

i.    Preferred digital photo format: high-resolution .jpg, approximately 8”x10” @ 300 dpi.

ii.    Hard copy photos will not be accepted.

iii.    Production photos are preferred over still/posed photos. Participating schools are encouraged to email digital photos of the following:

1.    Chorus Ensemble

2.    Leading Actors

3.    Supporting Actors

4.    Featured Actor

5.    Cast Photo

C.    Playbill: Each participating school is required to email Courtney Reed an electronic/digital copy of its musical playbill/program (.PDF or .jpg preferred, .doc accepted) no later than four weeks prior to its school production.  Hard copies will not be accepted. If the school playbill is not available four weeks prior to the school performance, the school must email general production information that will be included in the playbill (e.g. cast & crew member names, musician names, etc.).

D.    Poster: Each participating school is required to email Courtney Reed an electronic/digital copy of its musical poster (.PDF or .jpg) no later than four weeks prior to its school production.  Hard copies will not be accepted.

E.    Costumes: School’s nominated for Overall Production and/or Leading Actor/Actress, and students participating in the Shuler Student Ensemble must retain their musical costumes for performance in the Shuler Awards. Nominated schools must bring their musical costumes to all scheduled dress rehearsals.

XI.    Fees / Tickets

A.    There is no application or participation fee for the Shuler Hensley Awards.

B.    Audience tickets to the Shuler Hensley Awards are $15.

C.    Participating schools may purchase tickets during a special pre-sale event Tuesday, February 14, 2012.

D.    Each participating school will be provided with two complimentary tickets to the ceremony if requested from the box office during the pre-sale.

E.    Pre-sale tickets may only be purchased in-person or by calling the box office at 770.916.2852, during box office hours: Monday through Friday from 10 am – 6 pm and Saturday from 10 am – 2 pm.

F.    Tickets are limited. Orders will be filled on a first come, first serve basis.

G.    Tickets will go on sale to the public Friday, February 24, 2012.

H.    Shuler Student Ensemble participants will be provided one complimentary ticket. Ensemble students will be required to sit together in the designated Ensemble block. If an Ensemble member would rather sit with his/her school block, he/she must have a purchased ticket with his/her school block.

I.    Two complimentary tickets will be reserved for each award nominee. Individuals nominated in more than one category will receive ONLY one pair of complimentary tickets.

Courtney A. Reed
Director/Producer
Shuler Hensley Awards
creed@cobbenergycentre.com    

Heidi Bevill
Production Manager
Shuler Hensley Awards
shulerawards@cobbenergycentre.com

Updated 23 September  2011.