Reviews

  1. A Critic who attends a Cappies Show must submit a Review in a timely manner, through the Cappies Information Services (C.I.S.).
  2. Unless otherwise authorized by the Program Director, the Review Deadline will be (in local time):
    1. 10 AM Sunday, for a Cappies Show that takes place on Friday evening (or before) of the same week.
    2. 12 PM Sunday, for a Cappies Show that takes place on Saturday afternoon of the same week.
    3. 2 PM Sunday, for a Cappies Show that takes place on Saturday evening of the same week.
    4. 9 PM Sunday, for a Cappies Show that takes place on Sunday afternoon of the same day, except:
      1. Mentors may extend the Review Deadline for a Sunday afternoon Cappies Show, but not beyond 11 PM of the same Sunday night. (Note: The Mentor Review Deadline will be three hours after the Critic Review Deadline.)
      2. If the Mentors extend the Review Deadline, the Editor Mentor must send an email informing the Program Director and Web Coordinator of the new Review Deadline, immediately after the Cappies Show.
      3. Not less than 14 days prior to the Cappies Show, the Editor Mentor may request an accelerated Review Deadline, by email to the Program Director.
        1. The Program Director will weigh the Mentors' request with the need for predictable Review deadlines, and will decide whether the deadline will be changed.
        2. Not less than 14 days prior to a Cappies Show, the Program Director will notify Critics of any early Review deadline.
    5. Three hours prior to Awards Voting, for any Cappies Show with a Review Deadline that would otherwise fall within three hours prior to Awards Voting.
  3. Reviews submitted after the Review Deadline, but within 72 hours after the Review Deadline, will be marked as "late".
    1. Late Reviews may or may not be selected for Participating Media, at the discretion of the Mentors.
    2. Late Reviews may or may not be forwarded to the Performing School, at the discretion of the Program Director.
    3. For Awards purposes, a Critic who submits a late Review within 72 hours will be credited with the Review and may evaluate the show in the Awards Voting.
  4. If a Critic fails to submit a Review within 72 hours after the Review Deadline:
    1. The Critic will be barred from submitting a Review for that show and from evaluating that Cappies Show in the Awards Voting.
    2. At its option, the Steering Committee may charge the Critic's Participating School $15 for the price of the Critic's ticket and refreshments at the Cappies Show.
    3. If an illness or personal emergency prevented the Critic from submitting the Review in a timely manner, the Critic's Advisor may send an email to the Program Director, requesting that a Critic be granted an extension to the 72-hour deadline.
      1. The Program Director will provide this exception, upon proper request from the Advisor.
      2. The extension will ordinarily be for 48 hours, but may be for a longer period, at the discretion of the Program Director.
  5. A Critic's Review of a Cappies Show will ordinarily be between 300 and 450 words, in a word count measured on C.I.S.
    1. The Program Director may revise that word target for any Cappies Show, with notice given to Mentors and Critics attending that Show.
    2. The Mentors will have discretion not to select for Participating Media any Review of fewer than 250 words or more than 500 words, or outside whatever other word target may be set by a Program Director for a Cappies Show.
    3. The Program Director will not accept, and will not credit a Critic (or Team), if a Review is fewer than 200 words.
  6. In writing a Review, a Critic may:
    1. Praise any student in grade 9 to 12 by name, and praise any student in grade 8 or below by name, but may not praise (or otherwise mention) any adult by name, apart from the composer and/or playwright.
    2. Make criticisms that are:
      1. Within the range of fair comment.
      2. Stated constructively.
      3. Combined with praise, to the extent an honest description will allow.
      4. Presented as observation, not as advice.
      5. Not longer than necessary to state a point.
      6. Not directed toward:
        1. Any named student or character.
        2. Any unnamed student or group of students, in grade 8 or below.
        3. Any adult in any performing or non-performing role, including an adult director, choreographer, or tech designer.
        4. Any composer, playwright, or lyricist, except to the extent necessary to introduce or provide context for the Cappies Show.
  7. In writing a Review, a Critic will:
    1. Use C.I.S., and follow C.I.S. Procedures for Critics, except:
      1. If C.I.S. is not functioning, for any reason, the Critic will submit the Review by email, in a timely manner.
      2. If C.I.S. is functioning, but the Critic submits a Review by email, the Program Director may either submit the review on behalf of the Critic (via C.I.S.), or may refuse to submit the review.
    2. Express the Critic's own personal point of view, while keeping in mind opinions expressed by other Critics during Discussions.
    3. Make best effort to meet high standards of:
      1. a. Accuracy and fairness, including:
        1. Honest descriptions of what actually happened on stage.
        2. Proportionate praise and criticism, within the range of fair comment.
        3. Solid analysis of theater.
      2. Quality of writing, including:
        1. Engaging and creative style, of interest to readers who did not see the Cappies Show.
        2. Succinct background of the play, and a brief synopsis of the story.
      3. Correct spelling of all cast, crew, character, and other names.
    4. Be the Critic's own work, by not including:
      1. More than minimal grammar, spelling, or style edits by persons other than the Critic.
      2. Any plagiarism or internet copying.
    5. Understand and accept that every Review is subject to editing, and a spot-check for possible plagiarism or internet copying, by Mentors and others, without a Critic's knowledge or consent.
  8. A Program Director may refuse to accept any Review that:
    1. Is fewer than 300 words.
    2. Contains numerous misspellings of names or character names.
    3. Is very poorly written, by high school standards.
    4. Has a sarcastic, derisive, or offensive tone.
    5. Flagrantly violates the Rules on criticism.
  9. If a Review is unacceptable, the Program Director will:
    1. Delete the Review on C.I.S.
    2. Notify the Critic's Advisor and Lead Critic.
    3. Provide the Critic with an opportunity to resubmit the Review, within the usual deadline.
    4. Not credit the Critic, or the Critic's Team, with the Review, and not allow the Critic to evaluate that Cappies Show in Awards Voting (unless the Review is resubmitted in satisfactory form).
  10. After the Critics Deadline and before the Mentors Deadline, the Editor Mentor and Discussion Mentor will:
    1. Read all Reviews that are submitted prior to the Review Deadline.
      1. If Critics submit fewer than 20 Reviews, both Mentors will read all Reviews.
      2. If Critics submit 20 Reviews or more, the Mentors may split the initial reading of Reviews, but each Mentor will read all Reviews selected for Participating Media.
    2. Jointly select Reviews for submission to the media.
    3. The two Mentors will together select Reviews by consensus, with any disagreements resolved by the Editor Mentor.
    4. When selecting Reviews for Participating Media, the Mentors will give equal weight to:
      1. Accuracy and fairness, including:
        1. Honest descriptions of what actually happened on stage.
        2. Proportionate praise and criticism, within the range of fair comment.
        3. Solid analysis of theater.
      2. Quality of writing.
        1. With an engaging and creative style, of interest to readers who did not see the Cappies Show.
        2. With a succinct background of the play, and a brief synopsis of the story.
      3. Critic consensus, including:
        1. A reasonable reflection of the overall Critic opinion of a Cappies Show, and various aspects of that Show—i.e., whether that Show and those aspects were above average, average, or below average—as expressed during Discussions.
        2. Any personal opinions of a Critic that may depart from the Critic consensus, if the Mentors consider the Critic's opinion to be reasonable and defensible.
      4. Correct spelling of all cast, crew, character, and other names.
  11. The Editor Mentor will carefully edit Selected Reviews for:
    1. Name spelling.
    2. Grammar.
    3. Style.
    4. Accuracy.
    5. Fairness.
    6. Length.
    7. Sufficient description of the background and synopsis of the Play or Musical.
    8. Proper statement of any criticisms, within the Rules.
  12. As advised by the Steering Committee, the Editor Mentor will scan reviews selected for major media for possible internet copying.
  13. The Editor Mentor will lightly edit all Reviews that are not Selected Reviews, including Reviews received late but prior to the Mentor Deadline for submission to the Program Director, by:
    1. Editing only for compliance with the Rules on criticism.
    2. Deleting words or passages.
    3. Altering any words or passages in a manner that does not change the Critic's basic point.
  14. The Editor Mentor will forward all Reviews to the Program Director, prior to the Mentor Deadline, of:
    1. 8 PM Sunday, for any Cappies Show for which the Review Deadline is not later than 2 PM Sunday, or
    2. 12 AM Monday (i.e., Sunday midnight), for any Cappies Show for which the Review Deadline is 9 PM Sunday, or
    3. Three hours later than any extended Review Deadline set by the Mentors for a Sunday afternoon Cappies Show.
    4. Any other Mentor Deadline approved by the Program Director
  15. When forwarding Reviews to the Program Director, the Editor Mentor will use C.I.S., and follow C.I.S. Procedures for Critics, except if C.I.S. is not functioning, for any reason, the Mentor will follow emergency alternative procedures for review submissions.
  16. If the Editor Mentor fails to submit Reviews to the Program Director in a timely manner, the Program Director (or designee) may use C.I.S. to submit the Reviews.
  17. The Steering Committee may, at its option, set a limit on the number of Reviews by one individual Critic that can be published by a major newspaper.
    1. All Critics will be informed of any such limit at the start of the Program Year.
    2. The limit will be for not less than three Reviews, and (in large programs) is recommended to be for five Reviews.
    3. A Review subject to this limit will be sent to another local newspaper, where feasible.
    4. A replacement Review will be selected by the Program Director from among other reviews Selected by the Editor Mentor, if other selections have been made.
    5. For Awards purposes, the Critic will receive full credit for any Review selected for a major daily but not forwarded to it by reason of this Rule.
  18. Before forwarding Reviews to the media or Performing School, the Program Director (or designee) may:
    1. Make any additional edits:
      1. To comply with Rules on criticism.
      2. To revise words of praise to make the review more honest and accurate.
      3. To make the review more publishable.
    2. Alter the Mentors' selections:
      1. To remove reviews deemed by the Program Director (or designee) as not publishable.
      2. To apply any limit on Reviews published by one individual Critic.
  19. Before forwarding Reviews to the Performing School, the Program Director (or designee) may:
    1. Make additional edits, only to comply with Rules on criticism.
    2. Delete any Review that is:
      1. Fewer than 300 words.
      2. Not a theater review.
    3. In flagrant violation of the Rules on criticism.
  20. For any Critic whose review has been deleted, the Program Director (or designee) will:
    1. Notify the Critic of the opportunity to resubmit a Review by the final deadline.
    2. Notify the Critic's Advisor and Lead Critic of the deletion of the review.
  21. In the absence of any delay in receiving Reviews from the Editor Mentor, the Program Director will:
    1. Forward selected Reviews to the media prior to 12 PM on the Monday after the Reviews were received.
    2. Forward all Reviews to the Performing School by 12 PM on the Tuesday after the Reviews were received, except the Program Director may withhold:
      1. Unacceptable reviews.
      2. Reviews submitted to top media.
  22. Not later than one day after the Reviews for a Cappies Show are received by the Show Director at the Participating School, the Show Director will post all Reviews, for the cast and crew.
    1. The Show Director may withhold Reviews that s/he may deem unsuitable for distribution to students at the Performing School, for any reason, subject to the following limits:
      1. If fewer than 10 reviews have been received, the Show Director may withhold one review.
      2. The Show Director may withhold not more than 10 percent of all reviews, but may not withhold more than three reviews.
    2. If the Show Director deems any Reviews unsuitable for distribution to students, the Show Director will notify the Advisor and Program Director, in an email that will identify those Reviews.
    3. Neither the Show Director, nor any other teacher, parent, nor student at the Performing School, may contact any Critic for the purpose of responding to any aspect of the Critic's Review.
  23. At no time may anyone at the Participating School (including the Show Director, any other teacher, parent, any other adult, or any student) ask any Critic or Mentor who attended the Cappies Show about:
    1. Critics' Choices.
    2. A Critic's or Mentor's opinion about any aspect of the Cappies Show.
    3. Any aspect of any Critic's Review, before or after Mentor editing.
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