Glossary
The following is a glossary of commonly used Cappies terms. For more detail, please see the training materials, and the rules.
The Cappies
The Cappies ("Critics and Awards Program") -- A national charitable and educational program, founded in 1999, based in Virginia.
Governing Board -- The national Cappies board.
Vice-President-- The chair of the national Governing Board -(Janie Strauss)
Vice President -- The person who runs the Cappies program (Alecia Lewkowich, Katie Lewis-Prieur)
Chief Information and Technology Officer -- Adam Campbell.
CIS Team -- Originally created by Jeff Arnold, Samarth Keshava, and others from Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, in Annandale, VA
Cappies Rules -- The complete rules, which have been provided to each Advisor and Lead Critic and can be downloaded on the Cappies Rules page of the Cappies Web Site. All Cappies Programs, and all participants in them, must comply with these rules.
Local Cappies
Cappies Program -- A local program, managed locally, chartered by The Cappies.
Cappies Charter -- Permission from the Cappies Governing Board to have a local Cappies Program, on the condition that the program comply with all rules and procedures, and use materials distributed by the Cappies.
Program Code -- A three-letter code used to identify a local Cappies Program.
Program Director -- The person who runs a local Cappies Program.
Program Director -- The person who runs a local Cappies Program.
Steering Committee -- A local Cappies Program board.
Web Coordinator -- A person who manages the Cappies Program's home pages on the Web Site.
Lead Critic Coordinator -- A Critic who runs meetings of Lead Critics and helps make sure Lead Critics are doing their job.
Cappies Participants
Participating School -- A school that participates in the program. It may have a Critics Team only, or a Critics Team and a Cappies Show that is reviewed, considered for awards, or (nearly always the case) both.
School Code -- A two-letter code used to identify a Participating School.
Critic -- A student who attends the mandatory training as a representative from a Cappies School. Critics are required to attend and review 5 shows each year. (At the start of the school year, a program may set a lower minimum number.)
Critics Team -- Each Cappies School has a Critics' Team composed of 3 to 6 students.
Lead Critic -- A Lead Critic is in charge of a Critics Team's schedule, is responsible to make sure the team meets its obligations, and help a school comply with Cappies rules.
Show Director -- The teacher, at a participating school, who selects its Cappies Show, directs that show, receives reviews, and assists in any performance of excerpts from that show at a Cappies Gala.
Discussion Mentor -- One of two Mentors at a Cappies Show. The Discussion Mentor leads discussions, helps Critics select Critics' Choices -- and, afterwards, helps select the reviews that will be published.
Editor Mentor -- One of two Mentors at a Cappies Show. The Editor Mentor takes attendance, serves as the point of contact with the performing school, helps supervise Critics -- and, afterwards, helps select the reviews that will be published, and edits reviews.
Usher -- A student usher at a Cappies Show. Selected by the Show Director, the Usher stands outside the Cappies Room when the Critics are present, ensures that the Cappies Room is secure and that no one from the performing school enters the room uninvited, helps answer questions about the show, and escorts Mentors and Critics to and from the theater.
Booster -- A parent from a performing school who assists with a Cappies Show, Gala preparations, and other special events.
Newspaper Contact -- An editor (teacher or student) at a school newspaper that has agreed to receive (and possibly publish) Cappies reviews.
Roster, Schedule, and Attendance
Roster -- A complete list of each Participating School's Advisor, Show Director, Mentors, Lead Critic other Critics (including Regional Team Critics), Booster, and Newspaper Contact, with phone numbers and emails. The Advisor must make sure the school's Roster contains current information at all times.
Show Schedule -- A list of all Cappies Shows, and curtain times, on C.I.S.
Pre-Show Notifications -- C.I.S. emails sent automatically to the Show Director, Booster, and Lead Critic of a school with a Cappies Show, and to Mentors and Critics who are on the Attendance List for that show. They are sent 14 days, 7 days, and 48 hours before curtain.
Attendance List -- The list of Critics who have either been assigned to a Cappies Show, or who have volunteered for that show.
Final Attendance List -- The list of Critics on the final (48 hour) Pre-Show Notification
Volunteered Show -- A show to which a Critic was not assigned, but which the Critic wishes to review. A Critic must volunteer through C.I.S., to appear on the Attendance List and receive Pre-Show Notifications.
Declined Show -- A show for which a Critic was on the Attendance List, but wishes to decline. A Critic must volunteer through C.I.S., to avoid appearing on the Attendance List.
Replacement Show -- A show volunteered for by a Critic to replace an Assigned Show that has been declined. A Replacement Show must be named at the same time an Assigned Show is declined.
Emergency Decline -- A Critic who must decline a Cappies Show, for reason of illness or other personal emergency, after the Final Attendance List (and 48-Hour Pre-Show Notification) has been emailed by C.I.S. In such a case, the Critic must decline the Cappies Show on C.I.S. before curtain -- or, if the emergency cannot be reported until after curtain, the Critic must notify the Program Director by email.
Critic Attendance Cap -- A performing school's Theater Director may request that a Cap (a limit) be placed on Critic attendance. Each program will set a minimum cap number, of not less than 30 or more than 50. Once the Cap is reached, no additional Critics may volunteer for that show until the number falls below the Cap.
Schools, Shows, and Reviews
Cappies Show -- A show attended by Critics, for the purpose of writing Reviews and evaluation for award consideration.
Performing School -- The school hosting a Cappies Show.
Cappies Room -- The place, at the Performing School, where Mentors and Critics discuss a Cappies Show. The Cappies Room must be kept private and secure, and must provide Cappies Refreshments.
Cappies Refreshments -- Complimentary refreshments at a Cappies Show for Mentors and Critics, provided by Boosters, roughly comparable to what audience members will have available for purchase during intermission (or more than that, if desired).
Cappies Tech Board - A board with photos, sketches, designs etc highlighting the technical areas of a show that have been done by students and are therefor eligible for critics choice and voting.
Cappies Tickets -- Complementary tickets provided by the Performing School for Mentors, Critics, and Cappies Officials.
Cappies Seating Area -- The location in a theater (preferably center section, starting with the fifth row from the front, moving back) where the Mentors, Critics, and Cappies Officials will sit. The Cappies Seating Area must be roped off, with no one else permitted to sit there until after all the Mentors, Critics, and Cappies Officials have been seated.
Pre-Show Discussions -- A conversation among Critics, led by Mentors, starting promptly at 20 minutes before curtain, discussing the Cappies Show about to be performed.
Pre-Show Discussions -- A conversation among Critics, led by Mentors, starting promptly at 20 minutes before curtain, discussing the Cappies Show about to be performed.
Post-Show Discussions -- A conversation among Critics, led by Mentors, starting promptly 2 minutes after final bows. The first 10 minutes are spent discussing the entire show (with emphasis on the second act). The rest of the time is spent selecting Critics' Choices and doing initial Post-Show Evaluations.
Critics' Choices -- Names of that will go on Award Ballots, selected by Critics during Post-Show Discussions. For performing categories, Critics designate the "best in show." For non-performing categories, eligibility is determined by an application of the rules, based on information provided by a Show Director.
Post-Show Evaluations -- The preliminary, non-binding scores and points given by Critics after Post-Show Discussions.
Post-Show Pick-Ups -- Critics who must wait outside a Performing School, following Post-Show Discussions, for rides to take them home. Post-Show Pick-Ups must identify themselves to a Mentor, who must remain with them until the rides arrive and the Critics have all left for home.
Cappies Review -- A review of a Cappies Show, of roughly 300 to 400 words, written by a Critic.
Review Deadline -- The time when Critics must submit Reviews to the Mentors to have those Reviews considered for publication. The Review Deadline is always on Sunday, and can be 10 AM (for Cappies Shows on the prior Friday evening or before), noon (for Saturday matinees), 2 PM (Saturday evening), or 9 PM (Sunday matinee).
Final Review Deadline -- Exactly 72 hours after the Critic Deadline, after which a Review will no longer be selected.
Mentor Selections -- Reviews chosen by both Mentors, sent to newspapers.
Mentor Deadline -- The time when Mentors must submit Reviews to the Program Director. The Mentor Deadline is 8 PM Sunday, or midnight Sunday night for Sunday matinees.
Review Posting -- The Show Director's posting of Cappies Reviews for the cast and crew to read. The Program Director will usually forward Cappies Reviews on the Monday following the Cappies Shows.
Voting, Awards, and Gala
Cappie Award (Cappie Winner) -- the highest-ranked candidate in each category is presented a Cappie Award (and is a Cappie Winner).
Nomination (Nominee) -- the top scoring Critics in each category receive Nominations (and are Nominees). The usual number of Nominees varies from 3 to 5, depending on the program. Nominations are announced one or two days after Award Voting.
Commendation (Commendee) -- Up to four students are chosen by each Show Director for Commendations (and are Commendees), recognizing them for their achievements in theater. Commendations are announced one or two days after Nominations. Usually, Commendees are students who do not receive Nominations.
Award Voters -- Critics who have submitted not less than the minimum required number of Cappies Reviews (anywhere from 3 to 5, depending on the Cappies Program), and who participate in Award Voting.
Award Voting -- the year-end vote for Cappie Awards and Nominations, done at a central location, using a highly secure online system.
Evaluation Scores -- a scoring system through which Critics score all Critics' Choices, using a 10-point scale. Preliminary scores are given at the end of Post-Show Discussions. Final scores are given during Award Voting.
Nomination and Award Points -- A scoring system through which Critics allocate points to Critics' Choices each Critic considers worthy of being named as Nominees or Cappie winners. A Critic receives 5 Nomination Points, and one Award Point, per Review he or she has submitted. Critics allocate preliminary Nomination and Award Points at the end of Post-Show Discussions, and final Points during Award Voting.
Award Categories -- The 33 categories of "Cappie" nominations and awards, voted on by the Critics.
Award Category Guide -- the rules, eligibility criteria, and guidelines for what Critics should keep in mind, what they should look and listen for, and how they should score each Award Category.
Critics Award -- each program awards not less than two individual Critics' awards (by gender or year in school) and a Critics Team award. These awards are based partly on the extent of participation (number of reviews) and quality of reviews (number selected for publication).
Special Award for Service -- a "Cappie" award that a local program's Steering Committee can give, if it wishes, based on service to the Cappies or to High School Theater in general.
Cappies Gala -- formal Tonys-style events at which Cappie Awards are presented.
Cappies International Theater -- a summer program in the National Capital Area, co-hosted by the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, to which Cappie Winners in "Lead" categories are invited to participate. (This program is suspended indefinitely.)
Online
Cappies Web Site -- www.cappies.com. Each program has a home page, which it constructs and maintains, for news, review postings, and special announcements.
C.I.S. (Cappies Information Services) -- C.I.S. is the online computer network that helps us to run the Cappies. You will receive a username and password which will allow you to login to C.I.S. The link to C.I.S. is at Cappies.com. Via C.I.S., you will submit your reviews, decline shows, and sign-up for additional shows. C.I.S. will also send Critics, Advisors, Show Directors, Mentors, and Boosters automatic notifications about upcoming shows and other items.
C.I.S. User -- Each Advisor, Show Director, Mentor, Lead Critic and Critic. Each C.I.S. User is asked to check emails at least once every two days, and to make sure emails that come from cappies.com addresses are not blocked by spam guards.
C.I.S. Log-In Page -- the portal for C.I.S., which can be accessed via the Cappies Web Site. C.I.S. Users are encouraged to bookmark the C.I.S. Log-In Page. This page asks for Username, Password, and Region.
Username -- Each C.I.S. User has a username. The username consists of the School Code, followed by a dash, followed by the first letter of the user's first name, followed by the first seven letters of the user's last name.
Region -- the three-letter code for each Cappies Program.
Password -- Each C.I.S. User receives a password as soon as his or her school's online application has been accepted. A C.I.S. User who forgets (or loses) a password can go to the C.I.S. Log-in Page, type in the User's email address, and if that address is in the database, C.I.S. will immediately email a new password. A C.I.S. User may select a new password at any time, on C.I.S.
Personal Information -- Each C.I.S. User's personal information, including phone numbers and email addresses. This information must be kept current.
C.I.S. Emails -- Emails sent to C.I.S. Users by Cappies Program officials. These include C.I.S. emails sent automatically to Advisors and Lead Critics, when Critics from their school's Critics Team either fail to attend a Cappies Show for which they are on the final Attendance List, or who fail to submit a Cappies Review for a Cappies Show they have attended.
Forms
Parental Authorization Form -- What a parent (or guardian) must sign for each Critic before that Critic attends a Cappies Show, giving permission for that Critic to participate in the Cappies program and travel to Cappies Shows.
Post-Show Evaluation Form -- a list of a show's Critics' Choices, along with a critic's preliminary scores. These are returned to Critics when they vote at the end of the year.
Award Eligibility Form -- Information about whether a Cappies Show qualifies in various award categories, with names of students (up to four), or a group name, for each eligible category. This form must be completed by a Show Director and given to the Editor Mentor not later than 30 minutes before curtain, at a Cappies Show.
Critics' Choice and Post-Show Evaluation form -- this can be anywhere from one to four individuals (per category), or a named group. Each Critic's Choice will be on the awards ballot at the end of the year.
Affirmation -- A form that must be signed by a Mentor who is not a teacher or administrator at a Participating School.