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Checking in with the Editor Mentor. When you get to a Cappies show, go right to the Cappies room. Look around; there should be signs leading you there. If not, people at the ticket window should be able to help you find it. When you get to the Cappies room, check in with the Editor Mentor (usually a teacher), who will mark you present on the attendance list, indicating that you are eligible to review the show.
After you're signed in, you can spend some time having refreshments (provided by the parent Boosters of the host school), looking through the show program and any tech boards and materials the school has provided, and talking with friends (or making some new ones) until the discussion begins.
Finding Out What's Particular about This Show. Thirty minutes before show time, the Discussion Mentor (typically a teacher) will start a discussion about the show and particular things to watch for in this production of it – in addition to what's in the Theatre Evaluation Guide to "Keep in mind" and "Look and listen for". The Show Director may also come into the Cappie room to talk to the critics about the production and to answer questions. A five minutes before curtain, the usher will come get everybody from the Cappies room. Leave your binder in the Cappie room.
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Sharing Opinions and Learning about Theatre. At intermission and again at the end of the show, you'll return to the Cappies room to discuss what you thought about the show per the four evaluation factors for each category in the Theatre Evaluation Guide. This sharing of opinions brings out observations and information that help everyone learn more about theatre, and, thus, write thoughtful reviews and give knowledgeable scores. For instance, you may be wondering what positive aspects you can use in your review to balance the criticism you have for a show, when a fellow Critic notes the difficulty level of the lighting, making you realize how well the lighting was done under the circumstances. Or you may think those simple-looking dresses involved little costuming ability until a fellow Critic points out details showing how cleverly they were designed.
Keeping the Discussion Moving. The discussion after the show should take about 45 minutes. To keep it moving along so everyone can go home in a timely manner, please raise your hand to speak, state your opinion briefly when you're called on, and then listen quietly while other Critics give theirs. Listen carefully so that you don't repeat the same observation or just heap onto the same point.
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