Governing Board

"The Cappies, Inc." is a corporation registered in the Commonwealth of Virginia, which:
1. Has been approved by the U.S. Internal Revenue Service as qualified to receive tax-deductible contributions under Section 501(c) (3) of the U.S. Code.
2. Is governed by a Governing Board, with established bylaws, through which it has selected officers.
  1. These officers include a President, Vice-President and Treasurer, whom the Governing Board has authorized to supervise the Charter process.
  2. Any inquiries about "The Cappies, Inc.", the Governing Board, or Rules will be directed to the President, at admin@cappies.com.
The Governing Board has:
1. Approved these Rules.
2. Authorized the establishment of Programs under the name "Cappies".
3. Authorized the Governing Board to charter Programs that comply with these Rules.
The Governing Board has authorized and will approve separate training materials for Advisors, Show Directors, Mentors, Lead Critics, Critics, and Boosters.
By unanimous vote, the Governing Board may take any action, with regard to any Program, Participating School, Critics Team, Mentor, or Critic, that the Board determines to be in the best interest of the Cappies.

Charter

To use the "Cappies" name for any show, event, award, or other purpose, a Program must have a Charter.
To receive a Charter, and thereby establish a Program, an Applicant Group or Renewing Program must submit a Charter Application.
1. A Charter will be for one Program Year, commencing on or after July 1, and ending on or before June 30.
2. An Applicant Group or Renewing Program may apply for a Charter at any time after June 15 for the subsequent Program Year.
3. An Applicant Group may apply for a Charter before December 15, for the current Program Year.
4. The Charter Application will include:
  1. An On-Line Charter Application, submitted through the Cappies Information Services (C.I.S.), which an Applicant Group may access through the Web Site (www.cappies.com)
  2. A Written Charter Application.
    1. All required Forms for the Written Application may be downloaded and printed through the www.cappies.com Web Site.
    2. The Written Application, including payment of the Charter Fee, must be received by the National Treasurer, not later than September 1 of the Program Year, or 30 days after the On-Line Charter Application has been submitted, whichever is later.
An On-Line Charter Application will include:
1. A full program name.
2. A three-letter alphabetic code for the program name (e.g., "NCA" for "National Capital Area").
3. Program Year (the calendar year of the June 30 date following the school year of Program events).
4. An Employer Information Number (E.I.N.).
5. A region.
  1. Geographic Boundaries, which may be approximate, and/or a list of school or political districts.
  2. Time zone (Eastern, Central, Mountain, or Pacific)
  3. The estimated driving time between the most distant schools, which are recommended not to exceed:
    1. 75 minutes in normal traffic (for Programs with fewer than 25 Participating Schools).
    2. 120 minutes in normal traffic (for Programs with 25 or more Participating Schools, or for Participating Schools in any Program whose Cappies Shows take place during daytimes, or on Saturday evenings with final bows not later than 9:30 PM).
6. Names, emails, work, home, and cell phones, and postal mailing addresses of each Member of a Steering Committee, of not less than four and not more than twelve Members, including:
  1. A Chair.
  2. A Program Director.
  3. A Treasurer.
  4. Other Members.
7. Names of not less than four Participating Schools, along with a two-letter code for each school name.
8. Schedule, including actual or approximate dates for:
  1. Initial School Application Deadline, which may be any date prior to the first Cappies Show.
  2. Lead Critic Training/Show Scheduling.
  3. New and Returning Critic Training.
  4. New and Returning Mentor Training.
  5. Initial Critic Training, following the Initial School Application Deadline.
  6. Midyear School Application Deadline, which may be any date between December 1 and February 1.
  7. Midyear Critic Training, following the Midyear School Application Deadline.
  8. Mid-year Mentor Training.
  9. Critics Voting.
  10. Awards Event (Gala or Ceremony).
9. Selection of:
  1. Participation level:
    1. Reviews and Awards, or
    2. Reviews only.
  2. Awards event:
    1. Gala (formal, with entertainment), or
    2. Ceremony (informal, without entertainment)
  3. Cappies Shows per School (1 or 2).
  4. Reviews required (3, 4, or 5) per Critic, through the Program Year.
  5. Fee ($100 to $300, per school)
  6. Time Zone
  7. Maximum driving distance (in minutes)
  8. Geographic boundaries.
10. A Commitment to:
  1. Pay the Charter Fee, which will be established annually.
  2. Pay an annual fee critic fee as determined by the governing board.
  3. Submit a Written Charter Application.
  4. Follow, and require all Participating Schools, Mentors, Critics, and any other Program Participant to follow, all Rules and C.I.S. Procedures.
11. An Affirmation that no Member of the proposed Steering Committee has been convicted of, or is presently charged with, any felony offense. Background checks or a letter from the chapter requesting exception will be required.
An On-Line Charter Application may be approved or denied by the Governing Board, for any reason.
1. Upon approval of the On-Line Charter Application, a Program's C.I.S. page will be activated.
2. The Governing Board may approve an On-Line Charter Application, with a request that a Program insert missing data on its C.I.S. pages.
3. An On-Line Application will be deemed temporary, pending an Applicant Group's submission and the Governing Board's receipt of a complete Written Charter Application.
In its Written Charter Application, using Forms that are available for downloading and printing on the www.cappies.com Web Site, an Applicant Group will provide:
1. The signed and dated acceptance, by the Program Chair, on behalf of the Steering Committee, of legal conditions described in the Charter Application.
2. Payment of the Charter Fee.
3. A signed Endorsement of the proposed Chair, or Program Director, by a person who is currently employed as a teacher or administrator at a Participating School, or in a school system that includes a Participating School, unless the Chair, or Program Director:
  1. Is currently employed as a teacher or administrator at a Participating School, or in a school system that includes a Participating School, or
  2. Held the position of Chair, or Program Director, during the prior Program Year.
4. A signed Affirmation from Member of the proposed Steering Committee, who is not currently a teacher or administrator at any Participating School, or of any school system that includes any such school, stating that the Mentor has not been convicted of, and is not presently charged with, any felony offense. Background checks may be required by some school systems and/or insurance companies.
5. An agreement to follow, and require all Participating Schools, Mentors, Critics, and any other Program Participant to follow, all Rules and C.I.S. Procedures.
A Written Charter Application may be approved or denied by the Governing Board, for any reason.
When a Charter Application is approved:
1. An Applicant Group will become a Steering Committee authorized to run a Program.
2. The Webmaster will activate Program Pages on C.I.S. and the Web Site.
After a Charter is approved, a Steering Committee may not amend its Charter, or any provisions therein, but may amend Program data via C.I.S.
Following the Initial Critic Training, a Steering Committee may not, during the remainder of the Program Year:
1. Change its Level of Participation.
2. Alter the minimum number of Reviews required per Critic.
3. Raise or lower School Participation Fees.
Additions or deletions to the initial list of Participating Schools will not require an amendment to the Charter, except:
1. If the deletion of a Participating School results in fewer than four Participating Schools, the Program Director must immediately notify the Director.
2. The Program will have 60 days to add a fourth Participating School, or its Charter will be terminated.
Within two years after its first Charter Application, a Program will apply:
1. Apply to become a corporation, if required by state law.
2. Apply to the U.S. Internal Revenue Service for educational or charitable status under Section 501(c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code, within two years of the date of this Charter Application.
3. Provide proof of insurance.
4. Request for an extension of the time limit for these applications.
A Charter may be terminated, at any time:
1. By a Program, for any reason, without refund of the Charter Fee.
2. By a two-thirds vote of the Governing Board, upon notice to a Program Director, with a statement of reasons, and with a pro rata refund of the Charter Fee.

Steering Committee

A Steering Committee will include a minimum of four and a maximum of twelve Members.
1. At least two Members will be current or former high school teachers or administrators.
2. The Steering Committee may replace any Member or officer, for any reason, by a two-thirds vote.
3. Steering Committee Members will be presumed to be volunteers, and not paid any fees, salaries, or honoraria through any Program bank account, unless a request for the authority to make such payments is made to the Governing Board, which may grant any such request, at its discretion.
The Steering Committee will select:
1. A Chair, who will:
  1. Learn, and ensure compliance with Cappies Rules and C.I.S. Procedures.
  2. Schedule and preside at meetings of the Steering Committee.
  3. Maintain oversight of, and close communication with, the Program Director and/or Governing Board.
2. A Program Director, who will administer the Program.
3. A Treasurer, who will manage Program finances.
The Steering Committee will decide Program questions, on its own initiative, or at the request of the Program Director, consistent with the Rules.
1. The Steering Committee will act by consensus, to the extent possible.
2. Any questions requiring a vote will be decided by majority vote, with any tie vote decided by the Chair. Any tie vote will be decided by the Chair, who may participate in any initial vote.
The Steering Committee will determine the following dates:
1. The On-Line School Application Deadlines (initial and midyear).
2. The first and last allowable dates for Cappies Shows.
3. Critics Training dates.
4. Mentor Training dates.
5. The date for Award Voting.
6. The date for the Ceremony or Gala.
The Steering Committee will determine the following local Rule options:
1. Geographic area.
2. Extent of Program participation (Reviews only vs. Awards, Ceremony vs. Gala).
3. Participation fee for each Participating School ($100 to $300 per school).
4. Number of Cappies Shows per Participating School (1 or 2).
5. Set a minimum limit for a Show Director to set for the number of Critics assigned to a Cappies Show of no fewer than 20.
6. Whether to set an overall maximum limit for the number of Critics at a Cappies Show (30, 40, or 50).
7. Minimum number of Reviews per Critic (3, 4, or 5).
8. Number of Nominations per Category (3, 4, or 5).
9. Critic Award Categories (Male/Female or various Year-in-School options).
10. Featured Award Categories (2 or 4).
11. Minimum Mean Evaluation Score for a Nomination (3.0 up to 6.0).
12. How to address plagiarism and internet copying.
13. Whether to assess $15 from a Critic who fails to attend Cappies Shows for which is on the final attendance list.
14. Whether to assess $15 from a Critic who fails to submit a Review of a Cappies Show attended by that Critic.
15. Whether to have a Gala or Ceremony.
16. Whether, at a Gala or Ceremony, to allow Show Directors to perform songs of nominated Musicals that are not Critics' Choices, where compelling circumstances require this.
17. Award Items.
The Chair and Program Director will have access to any and all Program data on C.I.S., and will maintain confidentiality of data on these pages, as appropriate.
The Steering Committee members will have access to selected Program data, on a separate C.I.S. site.
By two-thirds vote, the Steering Committee may remove any member, or may remove any person from any Program position (including, but not limited to, Program Director).

Program Director

A Program Director will:
1. Administer the Program and direct all operations, including:
  1. Outreach, orientation, and applications.
  2. Rosters and Schedules.
  3. Training.
  4. Cappies Shows.
  5. Reviews.
  6. Awards Voting.
  7. Gala or Ceremony.
  8. Media campaigns.
2. Keep the Steering Committee fully informed of all Program operations.
3. Be knowledgeable about all Cappies Rules, including C.I.S. Procedures and Awards Voting.
4. Propose schedules to the Steering Committee for the following:
  1. On-Line School Applications (initial and midyear).
  2. First and last allowable dates for Cappies Shows.
  3. Awards Voting.
  4. Ceremony or Gala.
5. Set schedules for the following:
  1. Lead Critics Meetings.
  2. Critics Training.
  3. Mentors Training.
The Program Director will use Cappies Information Services (C.I.S.) to administer the day-to-day operations of the Program, and will:
1. Use C.I.S. to:
  1. Submit the Program's Charter Application.
  2. Collect School Applications.
  3. Set and update Rosters of Participating Schools
  4. Set and update the Schedule for Cappies Shows, Mentors, and Critics.
  5. Confirm Assignments, and expected attendance, of Mentors and Critics at upcoming Cappies Shows.
  6. Manage Review writing, selection, editing, and submission.
  7. Oversee Critics' attendance and Review-writing data.
  8. Insert Critics' Choices to create Awards Ballots.
  9. Prepare for Awards Voting.
  10. Determine Critics Awards.
2. Assist Steering Committee Members, Advisors, Mentors, and Critics in their use of C.I.S., which will include:
  1. Providing assistance to the Webmaster, as required, in distributing user names and passwords.
  2. Training Steering Committee Members, Advisors, Mentors, and Critics in C.I.S. Procedures.
  3. Assisting anyone who may have difficulty logging into C.I.S.
  4. Informing anyone whose use of C.I.S. may be affected by updates or revisions of C.I.S. Procedures.
3. Not use C.I.S. to:
  1. Send emails that bear no relevance or relationship whatsoever to the Cappies, including:
    1. 1. Audition notices for any event other than a Cappies Show or other event hosted or sponsored by the Cappies.
      2. Notices of any performances that are not Cappies Shows.
      3. Fund-raising for any organization other than the Cappies.
  2. Provide C.I.S. data to anyone other than a Cappies official or other person authorized by the Steering Committee.
4. Submit and maintain current data on C.I.S., as required by the Rules.
5. Oversee the Advisor, Show Director, Mentor, Booster, and Critic C.I.S. pages, as may be necessary to manage the day-to-day operations of the Program.
  1. 1. Keep and use a master password, to access these pages.
    2. Maintain the confidentiality of this master password.
In the event C.I.S. is not functioning, the Program Director and Web Coordinator will carry out contingency plans, as advised by the Director or their designee.
1. When C.I.S. is not functioning for two consecutive scheduled notices of Assignment, the Web Coordinator will distribute one such notice, by email, to assigned Mentors and Critics, and to the Show Director and Booster of the Performing School.
2. When C.I.S. is not functioning, for any reason:
  1. Critics will email Reviews to critic.XXX@cappies.com ("XXX" is the three-letter code for the Regional Program), whereupon those Reviews will be received by both Mentors and the Program Director.
  2. Mentors will email Reviews, when edited, to mentor.XXX@cappies.com ("XXX" is the three-letter code for the Regional Program).
  3. When emailing Reviews to these bins, Critics and Mentors will write and edit Reviews in the text of email, Critics will include their names and school names beneath their Reviews, and Mentors will indicate which reviews (and in what rank order) Reviews are selected for the media.
3. If the internet is not functioning, the Program Director will consult with the Director to arrange for an emergency procedure to receive and edit Reviews.
4. If C.I.S. and/or the internet is not functioning immediately prior to Awards Voting, during Awards Voting, or during the Audit and Certification process following Awards Voting, for any reason, the Director and Webmaster will assist the Program Director in:
  1. Postponing the Awards Voting until C.I.S. is again functional, or:
  2. Preparing and managing a paper Ballot voting process, with votes inputted into C.I.S. as soon as it is again functional.
The Program Director will use the Program Pages on the www.cappies.com Web Site to provide public information about the Program.

1. The Program Director will print out backup files, from C.I.S., of the full database for each school.
2. The Program Director will prepare and maintain Web Pages for:
  1. Participating Schools, each of which will have one Page, which will include the address(es), date(s) and curtain time(s) of any Cappies Show(s) at that Participating School.
  2. Selected Reviews of Cappies Shows.
  3. Media coverage and photographs of Cappies Shows, Awards Galas or Ceremony, or other Program events.
  4. News about upcoming Program events.
3. The Program Director will preserve the confidentiality of phone numbers and emails within the C.I.S. database.
4. The Program Director will not allow any commercial messages to be displayed on the Web Site, apart from links to organizations that have provided funding or other sponsorship to the Program.
The Program Director will monitor:
1. Critics' performance, including:
  1. Attendance at Cappies Shows.
  2. Behavior at Cappies Shows.
  3. Acceptability of Reviews.
  4. Participation in Awards Voting.
2. 2. Compliance with the Rules at Cappies Shows, by the Performing School, Mentors, and Critics.
3. 3. The post-show Review submission and editing process, by:
  1. Receiving selected and edited Reviews from the Editor Mentor, on the Sunday evening following a Cappies Show.
  2. Reviewing and, as necessary, re-ranking Reviews to conform with reasonable expectations of what the Media can publish, editing Reviews selected for the Media, and (for Rule violations) all Reviews.
  3. Submitting selected reviews to the media, on a timely basis.
  4. Submitting all reviews, or all reviews except those submitted to the most prestigious media, to the Performing School, not later than Tuesday night of the week following the Cappies Show,
  5. Posting reviews selected for the media on the web site.
4. Critics' Choices, by confirming their timely and accurate entry on C.I.S., and making any corrections that may be necessary to bring them into conformance with the Rules.
5. Post-Show Evaluations, by collecting and retaining them, in a confidential file, until Awards Voting.
The Program Director will make a major effort to inform area media about the Program, and to invite them to become Participating Media, with materials provided by the Director.
1. Participating Media may include:
  1. Local daily and weekly newspapers.
  2. Student newspapers, which the Participating School will identify in its School Application, unless the Steering Committee makes this requirement optional.
  3. Broadcast media.
  4. Internet media.
  5. Any other media identified by the Director.
2. The Program Director will request area media to become Participating Media by publishing and/or broadcasting:
  1. Reviews of Cappies Shows written by Critics, selected by Mentors, and forwarded by the Program Director (or designee).
  2. Pre-season high school theater sections (fall and spring).
  3. Notices of upcoming Cappies Shows.
  4. Initial results of Awards Voting, about Nominees.
  5. Coverage of Gala, including Awards winners.
3. Participating Media will be authorized, and requested, to:
  1. Edit any Review, without consent of the Critic.
  2. Refuse to publish or broadcast any Review, for any reason.
  3. Include a byline, with the name of the student Critic and his/her School.
  4. Identify the Review as part of the Cappies program.
  5. Provide feedback, to the Media Coordinator, about the quality of Reviews.
  6. Assist in Critic Training.
  7. Present an award at the Gala or Ceremony.
4. The Program Director will assist in the development of new media by:
  1. Maintaining a current local media kit.
  2. Keeping the Director informed about the extent of media publication of Reviews.
  3. Mailing one original clipping of all major Program media coverage, including the first published Reviews, to the National Media Director.
  4. Including links to media coverage on the Program web page.
The Program Director will take whatever other actions may be necessary to maintain the proper functioning, open communications, media access, and integrity of the Program.
The Program Director, or a designated representative, will attend the annual Program Directors' meeting.
The Program Director may enlist other persons to assist with any aspects of these tasks, including a:
1. Web Coordinator.
2. Booster Coordinator.
3. Lead Critics Coordinator.
4. Gala Directors and Assistants.
5. Members of the Steering Committee to assist in the final screening and submission of Reviews.
Maintain an archive of annual events and data which include:
1. Number of schools participating.
2. Number of critics participating.
3. Number of reviews written.
4. Number of reviews published.
5. Major media coverage and/or events.
6. Steering Committee meeting minutes.
7. Insurance policy.
8. All application, student participation, and security background check information.

Training

All Advisors, Directors, Mentors, Boosters, and Critics will be responsible for learning Cappies Rules and C.I.S. Procedures applicable to their roles.
All Advisors, Directors, Mentors, Boosters, and Critics will receive and read materials provided by The Cappies.
1. Each Advisor will receive and read the Advisor's Binder.
2. Each Director will receive and read the Show Director's Binder.
3. Each Mentor will receive and read the Mentor's Binder.
4. Each Booster will receive and read the Booster's Binder.
5. Each Lead Critic will receive and read the Lead Critic's Binder.
6. Each Critic will receive and read the Critic's Binder.
7. Each member of a Program's Steering Committee will receive and read the Admin binders.
Annual training Sessions are required for:
1. All Mentors.
2. All Critics.
A Program will conduct at least two New Critics Training Sessions in a Program Year, including an initial Training Session and a Midyear Training Session.
Training sessions will use a curriculum provided by The Cappies.
1. New Programs will be conducted by an official of The Cappies, or a designee, who will specifically follow the training plan described in the Admin binder.
2. Programs in their second year will conduct their own training, and will specifically follow the training plan described in the Admin binder.
3. Programs in their third or subsequent years will cover the subject areas listed in the training plan described in the Admin binder, but will have reasonable discretion to use other training methods.
Each Mentors Training Session will:
1. Use a curriculum, and binders, provided by The Cappies.
2. Be attended, by the Program Director, Chair, or both.
3. Provide instruction regarding:
  1. Rules and C.I.S. Procedures for Cappies Shows, including Discussions, Critics' Choices, decorum, and confidentiality.
  2. Criteria for selection of reviews for media.
  3. Rules on criticism.
  4. How to spot-check for plagiarism and internet copying.
4. Be of not less than one hour in duration.
Each New Critics Training Session will:
1. Use a curriculum provided by The Cappies.
2. Be attended, by the Program Director, Chair, or both.
3. Provide extensive instruction regarding:
  1. Rules and C.I.S. Procedures for Cappies Shows, including Discussions, Critics' Choices, decorum, and confidentiality.
  2. Criteria for selection of reviews for media.
  3. Rules on criticism.
  4. Prohibitions on plagiarism and internet copying.
  5. Confidentiality, including web-based conversations.
4. Be of not less than three hours duration.
Each Returning Critics Training Session will:
1. Use a curriculum, and binders, provided by The Cappies.
2. Review the prior year's overall performance.
3. Review any changes in Rules and Procedures.
4. Provide brief reminders regarding:
  1. Rules and procedures for Cappies Shows, including Discussions, Critics' Choices, decorum, and confidentiality.
  2. Criteria for selection of reviews for media.
  3. Rules on criticism.
  4. Prohibitions on plagiarism and internet copying.
  5. Confidentiality, including web-based conversations.
5. Provide advanced instruction in writing and critiquing.
6. Be of not less than 90 minutes in duration.

Schools

A Program will be open to the participation of any qualifying school, including:
1. Any public, private, charter, or parochial high school.
2. Grades 9 to 12 of a K-12 school that has not less than 100 students in Grades 9 to 12.
3. A home school association representing not less than 100 students in Grades 9 to 12.
  1. Only one home school team will be accepted by any Regional Steering Committee.
  2. If there is more than one home school team application, the Steering Committee will determine which application will be accepted for that season.
  3. All home school students will be eligible to apply to the accepted home school critics team
  4. The accepted home school team must allow open Cappies Show auditions among all home schooled performers residing within their Region
4. At the option of the Steering Committee, a school (or home school association) of not fewer than 100 students in Grades 9 to 12.
Schools that participated in a prior year's Program will submit a new application for each new Program Year, on a timely basis.
To be a Participating School in a Program, for a current Program Year, a school must submit a School Application, prior to a School Application Deadline set by the Program.
A School's Application will be submitted by the Advisor, who must be a teacher at the Participating School.
A School Application will include:
1. An On-Line School Application, submitted through Cappies Information Services (C.I.S.), which a School may access through the Web Site (www.cappies.com), and
2. A Written School Application, available to download and print through the Web Site (www.cappies.com), a completed copy of which must be received by the Program Director within 14 days after the On-Line School Application Deadline.
In its On-Line School Application, a school will include:
1. The name, street address, theater department phone number, and ticket information phone number of the Participating School.
2. A two-letter code for the Participating School, for use by C.I.S.
  1. This code may be any two letters that easily identify the Participating School (e.g., "LN" for "Liberty North High School").
  2. The Program Director may select a different code for the Participating School, for any reason.
3. The extent of requested participation, which can be either:
  1. Full Participation, with its shows reviewed and (if allowed by the Program) eligible for Cappies Awards,
  2. Partial Participation, with Critics, Mentors, and one or more Cappies Show reviewed but not eligible for Awards, or
  3. Limited Participation, with Critics but not Mentors, with no Cappies Shows reviewed or eligible for Awards.
4. Whether the School will perform one or two Cappies Show(s), and whether each Cappies Show(s) will be a Play or Musical.
  1. In a Program that allows two Cappies Shows per Participating School:
    1. The Cappies Shows will include one Play and one Musical, unless otherwise authorized by the Steering Committee.
    2. A Steering Committee will allow a School that joins after the Initial School Application Deadline to have only one Cappies Show.
  2. In a Program that allows one Cappies Show per Participating School, the Show may be a Play or Musical.
5. A preferred date and time, and alternative dates and times, for each Cappies Show to be performed by the Participating School.
6. Dates and times will be given for every performance and dress rehearsal of that show.
7. The Participating School may request that a dress rehearsal, or a special Critics-only performance (to which the public will not be invited), be designated the Cappies Show.
8. The address of the theater where the Cappies Show will take place, if different from the Participating School's address.
9. Names, home, work or school, cell phone numbers (if they exist), and email addresses for:
  1. 1. Advisor.
    2. Director of the Cappies Show.
    3. One or two Qualified Mentors. (See Section X)
    4. Critics (home and cell phone only).
      1. One Lead Critic.
      2. Two to five additional Critics for the Participating School's Critics Team.
      3. One to three Critics who will be assigned to a Regional Team by the Program Director (optional).
    5. Booster (a parent of a student at the Participating School).
    6. A school newspaper representative (school phone only).
10. Gender, school year, and mailing address (if a data entry field exists) for each Critic.
11. Requested block-out dates on which:
  1. Each Mentor requests not to be scheduled for a Cappies Show.
  2. The Lead Critic requests the Team not be scheduled for a Cappies Show.
12. The commitment of the Participating School to:
  1. 1. Pay the School Participation Fee.
    2. Submit a Written School Application, which must be received by the Program Director within 14 days after the On-Line School Application is submitted.
    3. Follow, and require all Mentors, Critics, and any other Program Participant to follow, all Rules and C.I.S. Procedures.
13. The date on which the On-Line School Application is submitted.
In its Written School Application, using forms that are available for downloading and printing on the www.cappies.com Web Site, a Participating School will provide:
1. Payment of the School Participation Fee.
2. All Mentors and/or adults who will have contact with students will need to complete a background check through procedures specified by Cappies Inc.
3. A signed Parental Authorization Form for each Critic, confirming a parent's understanding that the safety of transportation to and from a Cappies Show, the safety of any facilities at the Performing School, the conduct of the Critic or any other Critic, and the medical needs of the Critic, are not the responsibility of the Program, or of Cappies, Inc.
4. The signed, and dated, approval of the Advisor, or of another Authorizing Teacher (with an acknowledgment that the Advisor has been informed of the School Application).
5. The signed, and dated, approval of the Principal or other School Administrator.
The Program Director may conditionally approve an On-Line School Application, pending timely receipt of the Written Application, or may request that missing information be provided in a new On-Line Application.
Once the On-Line School Application has been approved, an Advisor may change any data on it, by emailing the Program Director.
1. An Advisor may amend a Participating School's list of Participants (Mentors, Critics, Booster, and School Newspaper contacts), their phone numbers, and/or email addresses, at any time.
2. An Advisor may make changes on the Critics Team, at any time, by email to the Program Director.
3. Before any new Critic will be added to a Critics Team, the Treasurer must receive a Parental Authorization Form for that Critic and the critic must have received Critics Training.
A Participating School will provide a minimum of one Qualified Mentor for Cappies Shows. A Qualified Mentor is one that has met all background check requirements and has been trained for that year.
1. For programs allowing one Cappies Show per school during the Program Year, a Participating School will be responsible for providing Qualified Mentors for two Cappies Shows.
2. For programs allowing two Cappies Shows per school during the Program Year, a Participating School will be responsible for providing Qualified Mentors for four Cappies Shows.
3. A Participating School may select two Qualified Mentors, in which case the Assignments will be split evenly.
A Participating School will provide a Critics Team to review Cappies Shows (and, at the Program's option, evaluate Shows for Awards).
1. A Participating School's Critics Team will be assigned to the number of shows (3, 4, or 5) the Program has selected as the required minimum number for each Critic to review.
2. Through a Program Year, Critics from each Participating School will be required to submit a minimum total number of Reviews.
  1. The required minimum number will be three times the number of assigned Cappies Shows, and will be the same for Teams with different numbers of Critics.
  2. Reviews submitted, or Awards Voting, by Regional Team Critics will be credited toward these minimum requirements.
3. Each Cappies Show assigned to the Team will be attended and reviewed by not less than:
  1. Two Critics (if the Team has 3 or 4 Critics).
  2. Three Critics (if the Team has 5 or 6 Critics).
4. At least two Critics from each Participating School will vote for Awards.
5. Sanctions will be imposed if Critics fail to meet minimum standards.
  1. A Participating School's Cappies Show will be disqualified from Awards if:
    1. Its Critics submit fewer than the required minimum number of Reviews, and/or do not have at least two Critics who vote for Awards.
    2. Its Critics fail to submit any Reviews for two assigned Cappies Shows.
  2. A Participating School's Cappies Team will have one Review added to its yearly minimum for each Review fewer than the minimum required number that are submitted by its Critics for an assigned Cappies Show. (For example: If a six-member team submits only one review for an assigned show—two less than the required number of three—then its yearly minimum Review requirement will be raised from 15 to 17).
6. A Critics Team may avoid sanctions if, not later than 14 days before a Cappies Show, or in the event of emergency, it notifies the Program Director that it wishes to reschedule its assigned Cappies Show. A Critics Team cannot decline an assigned show within 48 hours of that show for any reason. If they must, even in an emergency, they will be reassigned to a show. In addition, the Critics Team will be assigned one penalty show by the Program Director.
  1. The Program Director will provide the Critics Team with alternative Cappies Shows to which they can be assigned.
  2. The Critics Team must volunteer for one of these alternative Cappies Shows, not later than the date on which the originally assigned Cappies Show takes place. If a penalty show has also been assigned, the Critics Team must also select among the offered show to address their penalty.
  3. If the Critics Team does not attend their selected reassigned Cappie Show or their selected reassigned penalty show, the Team will be disqualified from Awards consideration. If the Team has not met its team minimum requirements, the School will also be disqualified from Awards consideration.
A Participating School will reserve complimentary tickets, refreshments, and a Cappies Room sufficient for as many as fifty Mentors, Critics, and Steering Committee Members.
1. Through C.I.S., a Participating School will receive a report on expected Cappies attendance, two weeks, one week, and two days before a Cappies Show.
2. An Advisor or Director may request to the Program Director, at any time, that the number of Critics be limited for a Participating School's Cappies Show, except the limit may not be less than:
  1. A minimum Critics' attendance (not less than 20, nor more than 50) set by the Steering Committee at the start of the Program Year.
  2. The number of Critics currently on the attendance list for that Cappies Show.
A Participating School will not be responsible for any items that may be lost by a Mentor or Critic, but will retain (in lost-and-found) any items left behind in the Cappies Room by a Mentor or Critic.
As a sanction for nonperforming Critics, and after giving notice to Critics in Training, the Steering Committee may, at its option:
1. Ask the Participating School to reimburse the Program $15 for every ticket to a Cappies Show, used by a Critic on the Critics Team who:
  1. Failed to attend a Cappies Show for which the Critic's name was on the final attendance list.
  2. Failed to submit a Review for a Cappies Show attended by the Critic.
2. Reimburse the Performing School for any sum collected from nonperforming Critics.
3. The Steering Committee may make these reimbursements as adjustment to sums owed for the purchase of tickets to a Gala or Ceremony.
At any time during a Program Year, a Participating School may:
1. Terminate its Participation in the Program, without a refund of its Participation Fee.
2. Reduce (but not increase) its Extent of School Participation, without a refund of its Participation Fee.
3. Be removed from the Program, for substantial or recurrent Rule violations, by a two-thirds vote of the Steering Committee.

Shows

The Program Director will set the Schedule for Cappies Shows.
1. Cappies Shows will ordinarily be scheduled public performances, but may include dress rehearsals or special critics-only performances, if requested by the Performing School, or required for the Schedule.
2. Cappies Shows may be scheduled for the following time slots:
  1. On Friday and Saturday evenings, or Saturday afternoons.
  2. On Sunday afternoons, if a Friday or Saturday performance is not practicable.
  3. On Thursday, Wednesday, Tuesday, or Monday evenings, if no other regularly scheduled public performance time and date are practicable.
3. The Steering Committee may require any Participating School that is distant from where most Critics live, or whose Cappies Show poses any other transportation problems, to schedule its Cappies Show(s) on Saturday evenings or weekend afternoons.
4. A Performing School will schedule its Cappies Show to final bows that begin not later than 10:30 PM.
  1. If a Cappies Show has final bows that begin later than 10:30 PM but before 11:00 PM, critics will be advised to take the noncompliance with this lateness Rule into account when scoring the Show for the Play or Musical Award categories.
  2. If a Cappies Show has final bows that begin later than 11:00 PM, it will be ineligible for the Play or Musical Award categories.
  3. If, in the judgment of the Mentors, the lateness of the final bows is the result of any delay in seating Critics, these sanctions may be waived.
5. The Steering Committee will determine the number of Cappies Shows that may take place during the same time slot.
6. To set the Schedule, the Program Director will:
  1. Honor the dates, and times, requested in School Applications, unless too many requests are made for one time slot.
  2. When a conflict exists, preference will be given to Participating Schools that received fewer Awards and/or Nominations in the prior year, or will be decided by lot.
  3. Assign school Critics Teams to a minimum of two plays and two musicals if at all possible.
7. The Program Director will set the Schedule at the Initial Lead Critics Schedule Meeting.
8. If any additional Participating School is added at Midyear, the Program Director may schedule its Cappies Show(s) in any available time slot.
9. The Program Director may change the Schedule at any subsequent time during the Program Year, as circumstances require.
10. The Cappies reserves the right to review play content to maintain the integrity of the Program, and therefore supports the right for a chapter's steering committee to decline a show that is to be reviewed by the critics.
11. Cappies may request verification of publisher permission for any changes in a production which might otherwise violate the publisher's contract
A Cappies Show will:
1. Be a performance of one scripted show, or two scripted shows with a similar theme.
2. Be a minimum of 75 minutes running time, not including intermission.
3. Have a performing cast at least half of whom are students in grades 9 through 12.
4. Include at least one intermission of not less than 15 minutes, suitable for a Critics' Discussion, unless the Play or Musical script specifically calls for no intermission.
At a Cappies Show, a Performing School will provide:
1. A Cappies Room of sufficient size for the projected number of Mentors and Critics, not more than a two minute walk from the theater (must be a separate/isolated room away from the performance space), available 45 minutes before curtain, during intermission, and 45 minutes after final bows.
2. Clearly visible signs, at the theater entrance and in hallways, directing Mentors and Critics to the Cappies Room.
3. Complimentary tickets for Critics, Mentors, and not less than two Cappies officials, in cordoned-off, preferred-seating locations where the Mentors and Critics can see and hear well (in most theaters: the center section, rows five through seven), with instructions to auditorium ushers to reseat any persons who sit in this location before Mentors and Critics are seated.
4. Complimentary refreshments, at least comparable to what the audience may purchase at intermission.
5. A simple microphone and sound system, for Cappies Shows with 20 or more Critics on the final attendance list.
6. Show programs.
7. A completed Award Category Eligibility form, presented to the Editor Mentor not later than 30 minutes prior to curtain.
8. A student usher, who will:
  1. Remain outside the door of the Cappies Room, in a location where the usher cannot see or hear what takes place in the Cappies Room.
  2. Assist the Mentors in ensuring that no one from the Performing School is present in the Cappies Room during the intermission and post-show Discussions, unless invited by a Mentor.
  3. Ensure that the Cappies Room is secure while the Mentors and Critics are in the theater, and promptly accessible to Mentors and Critics at the start of intermission and after final bows.
  4. Escort the Mentors and Critics between the Cappies Room and the theater in a timely manner, at the start of the Show and after intermission.
  5. Request that any theater patrons seated in locations reserved for Mentors and Critics change their seats, to enable Mentors and Critics to sit together as a group.
  6. Help answer Critics' questions about the Cappies Show, with assistance from the Show Director (or designee), as requested.
In presenting a Cappies Show, a Performing School will:
1. Not start the show, nor resume after intermission, until all Mentors and Critics are seated.
2. Not require the Critics to be present in the auditorium during any pre-show or post-intermission ceremonies and recognitions longer than one minute.
3. Excuse Critics, by public announcement, from any post-show (e.g., closing night) ceremonies and recognitions longer than one minute.
Upon request, a Performing School will be advised of the total Cappies attendance five minutes before curtain.
1. Fourteen days, seven days, and two days before a Cappies Show, the Advisor, Booster, Lead Critic will receive advance notice, through Cappies Information Services (C.I.S.), of the number of tickets that will be required for Mentors, Critics, and Program Officials who are expected to attend a Cappies Show.
  1. The numbers provided through advance notice will not limit the final number of Critics who may attend a Cappies Show, unless a limit has been specifically set.
  2. Unclaimed Critics tickets may be returned for sale to others five minutes before curtain.
  3. The Performing School may not refuse to provide tickets to any Critics, Mentors, or Program Officials, unless:
    1. The Cappies Show is a sellout, and
    2. The only Critics who are being refused tickets are those who were not on the final (48-hour) attendance list.
2. At any time, the Performing School's Advisor or Show Director may limit the number of Critics at a Cappies Show at the Advisor's school, by making such a request to the Program Director.
  1. This limit will not be fewer than 20, nor more than (30, 40, or 50) as set by the Steering Committee.
  2. This limit will not apply to any Critic who has been assigned to, or has volunteered for, a Cappies Show before the limit is set.
3. At its option, upon giving notice to all Critics during Training, the Steering Committee may reimburse the Performing School for:
  1. The sum of $15 for any Critic who is on the attendance list for a Cappies Show but who fails to attend.
  2. The sum of $15 for any Critic who attends a show but fails to submit a Review.
  3. The posted price for tickets to a Cappies Show, beyond 50, which are in fact used by Critics, but only upon specific request from a Show Director, and not later than two weeks after a Cappies Show.
A Cappies Show will be eligible for:
1. Review by Critics, with Reviews selected for Participating Media.
2. Awards, unless:
  1. The Program does not include Awards, or
  2. The Performing School has requested that its Cappies Show not be Awards eligible, or
  3. The Cappies Show has been disqualified from Awards, for any reason.
A Participating School may change the actual show, location, and/or starting time, of a Cappies Show, at any time and for any reason, by giving notice to the Program Director not later than 7 days prior to the scheduled date for the Cappies Show.
1. In the event of a weather emergency or other unforeseen circumstances, the Advisor may request a postponement or cancellation at any time, with prompt notice given to the Program Director.
2. The Program Director will select the time slot for the rescheduled Cappies Show.
A Program Director may, but is not required to, allow the rescheduling of a Cappies Show with less than 7 days notice.
The Program Director may schedule one or more Special Cappies Shows, for the purpose of introducing new schools to The Cappies or of providing a community service.
1. A Special Cappies Show may be scheduled for:
  1. A high school (or grades 9 to12 of a K-12 school) that is not a Participating School.
  2. A regional or special education center, or a regional youth program, whose performing cast is at least 75 percent of high school age.
2. Prior to a Special Cappies Show, the Program Director will schedule one Mentor and only the number of Critics whose reviews will be forwarded for publication.
  1. Two Critics may be assigned to write a joint Review.
  2. At the Program Director's option, a Mentor may be credited with one of his/her School's required Mentor Assignments, for volunteering.
  3. A Critic and the Critic's Team will not be credited with a Critic's Assignment.
  4. The Performing School will be asked to provide complimentary tickets to critics and mentors.
3. At a Special Cappies Show:
  1. The Mentor and Critics will meet at the box office 30 minutes before curtain.
  2. Exchange email addresses and phone numbers.
  3. The Mentor and Critics will sit together, and, during intermission and after final bows, will find a location for private Discussions comparable to those at other Cappies Shows.
  4. No Critics' Choices will be selected.
4. Following a Special Cappies Show, the Critics will submit Reviews, and the Mentor will edit and forward them, outside C.I.S., through whatever Procedures the Program Director may direct.
A Cappies Show may be disqualified for the Play or Musical Award, or from all Awards, as a consequence of substantial or recurrent Rule violations by its Critics Team, any individual Critic, or its Mentor.
1. This sanction requires a two-thirds vote of the Steering Committee.
2. The Steering Committee may only disqualify a Cappies Show for individual Critic misbehavior if others on the Critics Team, or the Advisor, are aware of this misbehavior and allow it to continue.

Advisors

In its School Application, each Participating School will designate an Advisor.
If the Advisor is not the Show Director of the Cappies Show, the Advisor will designate a Show Director on the On-Line Application.
If the Advisor is not the Mentor for the Participating School, the Advisor will designate a Mentor (or two Mentors) in the On-Line Application.
The Advisor will:
1. Read the Advisor binder.
2. Learn how to log in to C.I.S., and become familiar with C.I.S. procedures.
3. Inform C.I.S. about any changes of phone number or email address.
4. Check emails at least twice weekly, and respond to emailed inquiries from Program Officials in a timely manner.
5. Abide by all Cappies Rules and C.I.S. Procedures.
The Advisor will be responsible for:
1. The School Application, including selection of
  1. The Cappies Shows, including preferred dates and times.
  2. Director.
  3. One or two Mentor(s).
  4. Lead Critic
  5. Critics Team (of 3 to 6 students).
  6. 1 to 3 Regional Team Critics, who must be available to review Cappies Shows at times when the Advisor's own school has shows. (optional)
  7. Boosters and parent volunteers.
2. Oversight of:
  1. Show Director, if the Advisor is not the Show Director of the Cappies Show, by ensuring that the Show Director:
    1. Knows how to access C.I.S.
    2. Complies with the Rules for Cappies Shows.
    3. Assists, as appropriate, with preparations for the Cappies Gala.
  2. Mentor(s), if the Advisor is not a Mentor.
    1. If the Mentor is a person other than the Advisor, the Advisor will help ensure that the Mentor knows his/her Schedule and will attend any assigned Cappies Show.
    2. An advisor may replace the Mentor, at any time, for any reason.
  3. Lead Critic and Critics Team.
    1. The Advisor will assist the Lead Critic in ensuring that all Critics on the Critics Team comply with the Rules.
    2. The Advisor may replace a Lead Critic, remove a Critic from the Roster, or request the transfer to the Critics Team of a Critic on a Regional Team, at any time, for any reason.
    3. The Advisor may add a new Critic to the Critics Team and/or a Regional Team, but only at times when a new Critic can attend a Critics Training Session.
    4. The Program Director will notify the Advisor when any Critic from the Participating School:
      1. Has submitted by a Critic a Review that the Program Director has deemed unacceptable.
      2. Has behaved in an objectionable manner at a Cappies Show.
      3. Has been removed from the Roster, other than at the request of the Advisor.
    5. Naming of Commendees in a timely manner, together with the Show Director.
    6. School participation in the Gala or Award Ceremony (if the Program and School are participating in Awards), including:
      1. Distribution of Nominee and Commendee Award Items.
      2. Distribution of Gala tickets.
The Show Director may be assisted by the Advisor, Mentor, Boosters, and Critics from the Performing School in providing what the Rules require.

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Mentors

Each Participating School will submit the name of one or two Mentors, each of whom will be a high school teacher or administrator currently employed, full-time or part-time, at the Participating School, unless:
1. If no other volunteers can be found, the Advisor of the Participating School may designate the following person(s) as a Mentor.
  1. A high school teacher or administrator who is retired, or teaching at a school other than the Advisor's own Participating School.
  2. A currently employed theater professional who has an affiliation with the Participating School, and who is capable of leading Discussions and editing Reviews.
2. The Program Director will authorize such other person to be a Mentor, upon a determination that the person will:
  1. Be capable of leading Discussions, editing Reviews, in a manner comparable to what a teacher can do.
  2. Be reachable by email, and will respond in a timely manner to email.
  3. Submit to a security screening and background check equal to that of teachers within the Region's school systems.
3. If a Participating School does not fulfill its Mentor obligations, the Steering Committee may apply sanctions, including removal the school from the Program.
Before serving as Mentor at a Cappies Show, each new Mentor will attend a training session.
A Mentor will:
1. Read the Mentor binder.
2. Learn how to log in to C.I.S., and become familiar with C.I.S. procedures.
3. Inform C.I.S. about any changes of phone number or email address.
4. Check emails at least twice weekly, and respond to emailed inquiries from Program Officials in a timely manner.
5. Learn how to spot-check reviews for plagiarism or internet copying.
6. Abide by all Cappies Rules and C.I.S. Procedures.
After the Critics Schedule is prepared, the Program Director will prepare a Mentors Schedule.
1. At any time prior to when the Program Director announces the Mentors Schedule, by email to the Program Director, a Mentor may request preferred dates and Cappies Shows.
2. By confidential email to the Program Director, an advisor may request that a particular Mentor not be assigned to the Cappies Show at an advisor's Performing School, stating the reasons, whereupon the Program Director will honor such a request, and will preserve the confidentiality of such request.
3. The Program Director will attempt (but is not required) to:
  1. Assign a Mentor to his/her requested Cappies Shows.
  2. Split each Mentor's Assignments between Discussion Mentor and Editor Mentor.
4. If a Participating School has two Mentors, one of the two Mentors will inform the Program Director which Mentor will attend which Cappies Show.
The Program Director will schedule two Mentors for each Cappies Show.
1. One Mentor will be designated as Discussion Mentor.
2. One Mentor will be designated as Editor Mentor.
3. At the option of the Mentors or the Program Director, the Discussion Mentor may also be designated as Editor Mentors.
4. The Program Director may allow an additional Mentor to volunteer to attend, receive a complimentary ticket for, assist with, and be present in the Cappies Room for any Cappies Show which already has two assigned Mentors.
5. The Program Director will make an effort (but is not required) to add an additional Mentor for any Cappies Show whose attendance is expected to exceed 50 Critics.
The Program Director may name Regional Team Mentors, who:
1. Are not affiliated with any Participating School.
2. Will meet the same eligibility criteria as other Mentors
3. Will receive Mentor Training and the Mentor binder.
4. May be used to replace or supplement other Mentors, at the discretion of the Program Director.
A Mentor may decline an assigned Cappies Show.
1. The Mentor may decline:
  1. For any reason, with 3 weeks notice given by email to the Program Director.
  2. For illness or personal emergency, at any time prior to the Mentor's scheduled arrival time, by promptly emailing and telephoning the Program Director.
2. When declining, the Mentor will provide alternative Mentor dates during the current Program Year.
3. When a Mentor declines, the Program Director, or designee will:
  1. Find a replacement Mentor, which may include a Member of the Steering Committee, and
  2. Schedule an alternative date for the declining Mentor, during the current Program Year.
4. If a Participating School's Mentor(s) end the Program Year having mentored fewer than the required number of Cappies Shows, the Mentor's Participating School will provide one more mentor date than the number normally required for the following Program Year.
If a Mentor is absent from an assigned show, or if the Mentor declines too late for a replacement to be found:
1. The Mentor who is present will serve as both Discussion Mentor and Editor Mentor.
2. In selecting reviews for Participating Media, the Mentor who is present may consult with any Member of the Steering Committee who may be present, but not with any other person (including the Mentor who was absent).
Mentors will prepare for each Cappies Show they are mentoring.
1. The Discussion Mentor will do basic research, to the extent necessary to lead a brief Discussion with the Critics about the background (of the original show, story, and creative team) of the Cappies Show.
2. The Editor Mentor will print out and bring to the Cappies Show:
  1. The final pre-show Attendance List, which the Editor Mentor will receive from C.I.S. by email two days before the Show.
  2. A complete copy of the Rules.
  3. A blank Post-Show Evaluation Form (for a Play or Musical, as appropriate).
3. At a Cappies Show, on their own initiative, for any reason, the Mentors may switch between Discussion and Editor Mentor assignments, or share those roles.
At a Cappies Show, both Mentors will:
1. Arrive 45 minutes before curtain.
2. Exchange home phone numbers and emails with the other Mentor.
3. Attend the entire performance.
4. Sit with Critics, to ensure that Critics:
  1. Do not reveal their opinions of the Cappies Show while in the theater, except as normal members of the audience might do.
  2. Exit the theater promptly, at intermission, and after final bows (prior to any post-show activities), enable Critics to exit the theater promptly.
  3. Show good decorum, and represent the Cappies well, at all times.
5. Remain generally present during the pre-show, intermission, and post-show Discussions and evaluations.
6. Ensure that Critics follow all Rules, maintain professional decorum, and represent the Cappies well.
7. Ensure that one Mentor remains at the Performing School until the all Critics have left the premises.
At a Cappies Show, the Editor Mentor will:
1. Ensure that the Performing School is providing:
  1. A Cappies Room, with clear signs directing Critics there.
  2. A microphone and simple sound system in the Cappies Room (if 20 or more Critics are on the final attendance list).
  3. Complimentary tickets in a cordoned-off, preferred location (in most theaters: center section, rows five through seven), with instructions to auditorium ushers to reseat any persons who sit in that location before the Mentors and Critics are seated.
  4. Complimentary refreshments.
  5. Show programs.
  6. A completed Cappies Show Eligibility Form.
  7. An usher, to ensure privacy of the Cappies Room and to assist with any questions that may need to be answered.
  8. An intermission of not less than 15 minutes, unless the script specifically provides for no intermission.
  9. Notice to the Mentors and Critics to take their seats before the show is started or resumed after intermission, with a promise that the show will not be started or resumed until all Mentors and Critics are seated.
  10. A method (by public announcement, if necessary) for excusing the Mentors and Critics from any pre-show, post-intermission, or post-show ceremonies and recognitions longer than one minute.
2. Take attendance.
  1. The Editor Mentor will match names of students who are present with names of Critics on the final pre-show Attendance List.
  2. If a student who claims to be a Critic is not on the pre-show Attendance List, the Mentor will allow that student to serve as a Critic, in which case the Mentor will
    1. 1. Confirm the Critic's identification by photo ID.
      2. Write down the Critic's name and school.
      3. If another Critic will vouch that the person not on the Attendance List is a Critic, write down that other person's name and school.
      4. Enter the Critic's name on the C.I.S. attendance page, following the Cappies Show.
  3. If the Editor Mentor learns that a person who has claimed to be a Critic is not a Critic, the Editor Mentor will notify the Program Director, giving the name of that person and of any Critic who may have vouched for that person.
3. Confirm the privacy and security of the Cappies Room by:
  1. Ensuring that no friends or family of Critics are in the Cappies Room at any time.
  2. Ensuring that no Parent Boosters or other persons from the Performing School are in the Cappies Room during any of the Discussions or Evaluations.
  3. Inquiring about the security of the Cappies Room while the Mentors and Critics will be in the theater, and advising Critics whether it is safe to leave valuables there.
4. Greet and express appreciation to Parent Boosters, or anyone else from the Performing School who is assisting with refreshments, and allow them in the Cappies Room only:
  1. Before curtain (including during the pre-show Discussion).
  2. During intermission, to assist with refreshments, except they must leave the Cappies Room before Discussions start and may be allowed to enter after the Post-Show Evaluation Forms are collected by the mentors.
5. Invite the Show Director (or designee) to enter the Cappies Room to describe any aspect of the Cappies Show before curtain, or to answer any Critics' questions during the intermission and post-show Discussions.
6. Confirm that all Critics:
  1. Have been checked in on the Attendance List.
  2. Have Critics' Choices and Post-Show Evaluation Forms.
  3. Know the Review Deadline for the Cappies Show.
7. Determine, during intermission, whether any Critic has arrived after curtain, and, if so, whether that Critic should be allowed to review and evaluate the show.
8. Excuse Critics, following the post-show Discussion, after:
  1. Collecting all Post-Show Evaluation Forms as Critics leave, following the post-show Discussions.
  2. Asking all Critics to discard any personal trash, and providing any other help that may be required to clean up the Cappies Room.
9. Deliver any personal items left behind to someone from the Performing School.
10. Ensure that one Mentor remains at the Performing School until all Critics have left the premises.
At a Cappies Show, the Discussion Mentor will:
1. Start Discussions promptly.
  1. Pre-show Discussions will start promptly, 20 minutes before curtain.
  2. Intermission and post-show Discussions will start promptly, 2 minutes after the Critics enter the Cappies Room.
2. Lead Discussions about the Cappies Show, that will not be less than:
  1. Ten minutes before curtain.
    1. The Discussion Mentor will advise the Critics of the Candidates' names, and any other relevant information on the Cappies Show Eligibility Form.
    2. The Discussion Mentor will briefly provide the Critics with a background of the play or musical being performed.
    3. The Discussion Mentor will remind the Critics of the Rules on decorum.
  2. Ten minutes during intermission.
  3. Ten minutes after final bows, not including the selection of Critics' Choices.
3. Lead Discussions in a lively manner, by:
  1. Keeping order and focus.
    1. The Mentor will assert authority over the Discussion, in the manner of a teacher in a classroom.
    2. The Mentor will use a microphone and simple sound system (which is requested of Performing Schools for Cappies Shows for which the final Attendance List has 20 or more Critics).
    3. The Mentor will require Critics to raise their hands to request to be called upon, and to stand when making statements during a Discussion.
    4. The Mentor will require Critics not to have any side conversations during a Discussion.
  2. Requiring Critics to be respectful of one another's opinions.
    1. The Discussion Mentor will elicit brief comments from as large as possible a number of Critics.
    2. The Discussion Mentor will encourage Critics with contrasting points of view to speak out.
    3. The Discussion Mentor will take firm action to prevent any Critics from dominating a Discussion, "showing off" their knowledge of theater in an intimidating manner, or belittling any other Critics who may disagree with them.
  3. Guiding the Discussion in a fair, balanced, and constructive direction.
    1. The Discussion Mentor will allow critical comments, as long as they are stated fairly, reasonably, and constructively.
    2. If a Discussion begins to take an overall negative tone, the Discussion Mentor will steer it back in a more constructive or balanced direction.
    3. If any Critic makes a comment that is grossly unfair or unreasonably harsh, the Discussion Mentor will correct that Critic and remind all Critics that comments of that kind may not be made.
    4. A Discussion Mentor may raise issues, ask questions, provide expertise, and request contrasting points of view, and (if necessary) steer the Discussion in a more constructive direction, but may not attempt to shape or alter Critics' opinions.
4. Make a reasonable effort to conclude post-show Discussions approximately 45 minutes after final bows and in no event allow post-show Discussions to extend more than 60 minutes after final bows.
5. Assist the Editor Mentor in being alert to the presence in the Cappies Room of anyone who is not a Critic on the Roster, including friends or family members of Critics.
6. Instruct Critics to turn off beepers, cell phones, and pagers before entering the theater.
7. Remind Critics:
  1. Not to Discuss the Cappies Show outside the Cappies Room.
  2. Not to reveal their opinions of the Cappies Show, by comment or gesture, while in the theater, except in the manner of normal applause, laughter, and end-of-show ovations.
  3. Not to reveal their Critics' Choices or Post-Show Evaluations of the Cappies Show at any time to any person.
8. Oversee the selection of Critics' Choices, by taking suggestions, conducting any votes that may be required, and reading aloud the correct spelling of every student name selected.
9. Decide any question of Award eligibility, after consulting with Lead Critics who are present during a Discussion.
10. Ensure that the post-show Discussion is done as briskly as reasonably possible, with the goal of enabling Critics to depart for home not later than 45 minutes after final bows.
In case of serious misbehavior by any Critic, the Mentor may:
1. Reprimand a Critic.
2. Request a Critic's name and school name.
3. Advise the Program Director, by an immediate email report, after which the Program Director and the Advisor at the Critic's Participating School will determine whether any disciplinary action is warranted.
4. Order a Critic to leave the Cappies Room, and/or Performing School, in case of disruptive misbehavior of a sort that would require substantial disciplinary action in a school setting.
Following a Cappies Show:
1. The Editor Mentor will:
  1. Immediately email the Program Director in case of:
    1. Critic misbehavior.
    2. Any failure of the Performing School to provide anything required under the Rules.
    3. Any question about Award eligibility.
  2. Enter attendance and Critics' Choice data on C.I.S., not later than 24 hours after the Cappies Show.
  3. Mail or deliver the Post-Show Evaluation Forms to the Program Director, not later than 3 days after the Cappies show.
2. Both Mentors will select Reviews for the media.
If either Mentor is absent from the Cappies Show, and if no other Mentor or Program official is present, the attending Mentor will perform both the Editor and Discussion Mentor functions, and will report the absence to the Program Director immediately after the Cappies Show
A Mentor may be relieved or replaced at any time, for any reason, by the Advisor of the Participating School, or by a two-thirds vote of the Steering Committee.
If a Participating School's Mentor violates the Rules in any consequential way, the Steering Committee may impose sanctions on the Participating School, including:
1. Removal of the Mentor from the Roster, with the condition that a new Mentor be named within 7 days.
2. Disqualification of the Participating School's Cappies Show(s) from eligibility for the Play and/or Musical Awards, or from all Awards.
3. Removal of the Participating School from the Program, in the current or subsequent year.
4. Setting an explicit condition that any further actions of this kind will lead to any of the above sanctions.

Lead Critics

Each Critic Team will have a Lead Critic, which a Participating School will designate a Lead Critic at the time of its School Application, giving priority to Returning Critics, students in grade 12, and students who have demonstrated their reliability.
A Lead Critic will:
1. Read the Lead Critic binder.
2. Learn how to log in to C.I.S., and become familiar with C.I.S. procedures.
3. Inform C.I.S. about any changes of phone number or email address.
4. Check emails at least twice weekly, and respond to emailed inquiries from Program Officials in a timely manner.
5. Abide by all Cappies Rules and C.I.S. Procedures.
A Lead Critic will be responsible for attendance, communication, and Rules compliance by all Critics from a Participating School, whether on the Critics' Team or a Regional Team, by:
1. Ensuring that all Critics at a Participating School:
  1. Are reachable by phone and email, at the time of School Application and thereafter.
  2. Are properly trained.
  3. Learn and apply C.I.S. Procedures correctly.
  4. Follow all Rules.
2. Reminding the Team about upcoming assigned Cappies Shows, and ensuring that the required number of Critics will attend.
3. Assisting in monitoring the attendance and Review-writing performance of all Critics on the Team.
4. Ensuring that the Team and its Critics meet their minimum Review requirements for the Program Year.
5. Scheduling Team members for Awards Voting.
  1. There will be not less than two Lead Critics Meeting, including:
    1. An initial meeting.
    2. A midyear meeting.
  2. A Lead Critic will attend each Lead Critics Meeting.
    1. A Lead Critic may be represented by a designee, who may be another Critic and who must be a person on the Roster for the same Participating School.
    2. If no one represents a Participating School at a Lead Critics Meeting, the same sanction will be imposed as if a Team fails to attend an assigned Cappies Show.
    3. If no one from a Participating School is present for a scheduling meeting, the Lead Critics Coordinator or Program Director will set the schedule for that School's Critics Team.
  3. Each Lead Critics Meeting will be chaired by the Lead Critics Coordinator or Program Director.
The Initial Lead Critics Meeting will set the schedule for Critics Teams.
1. At this Meeting, the Program Director (or designee) will provide a map showing the location of all Participating Schools with Cappies Shows.
2. Before arriving at this Meeting, each Lead Critic (or designee) will be required to know the dates on which the Lead Critic's Critics Team cannot attend Cappies Shows.
3. The Lead Critics Coordinator will direct Lead Critics through a series of Selection Rounds, one for each Cappies Show to which Critics Teams will be assigned (e.g., if a Program assigns five Shows per Team, there will be five rounds).
  1. In each Selection Round:
    1. Each Lead Critic will select one Cappies Show as his/her team's assignment. A minimum of two of these shows should be musicals, and a minimum of two of these shows should be plays, if at all possible.
    2. Each Cappies Show will be selected once per round.
    3. Lead Critics will make selections in alphabetical order of their School's two-letter C.I.S. code, and successive rounds will start at later points in the alphabetical order, in a manner fair to all Teams.
  2. The scheduling will conclude with a Swap Round, during which Lead Critics may exchange Team Assignments with other Lead Critics.
  3. At the end of the Swap Round, if a Team has any Assignment that the Lead Critic believes cannot be attended by the required minimum number of Critics, the Lead Critic will inform the Program Director, and will propose at least three alternative Cappies Show dates.
4. Following the Initial Lead Critics Schedule Meeting, the Program Director will assign Regional Teams to Cappies Shows.
  1. Regional Teams will be assigned to the same number of shows as other Critics Teams.
  2. Regional Teams will be assigned to Cappies Shows during weeks when many Participating Schools have shows.
  3. Regional Teams may be reassigned, not later than 14 days prior to a newly assigned Cappies Show, to help provide sufficient Critics attendance at each Cappies Show.
  4. Program Directors may announce and manage a two week block on CIS so the critics may not volunteer for a show after the show draft. This will enable the admin to set up the team assignments fairly.
5. The Program Director may schedule a Midyear Lead Critics Schedule Meeting, during which Lead Critics will:
  1. Review the Schedule for the remainder of the Program Year.
  2. Revise the Schedule, as necessary.
  3. Review the Rules for Voting.
  4. Discuss the Gala or Ceremony, media plans, and other year-end issues.
  5. Assist in Training.
6. At the Initial Lead Critics Meeting, Lead Critics will receive binders for distribution to their Advisor, Show Director, Mentor(s), Booster, and Critics.
7. Following the Initial Lead Critics Meeting, Lead Critics will:
  1. Distribute binders to the Advisor, Show Director, Mentor(s), Booster, and other Critics.
  2. Discuss materials in these binders with all these individuals.
  3. Confirm that these individuals know the Rules.
  4. Confirm that these individuals know how to log in to C.I.S. and are familiar with its procedures.
For a Program in its third or subsequent year, a Steering Committee may authorize Lead Critics to conduct a preliminary training session for new Critics at their Participating Schools.
Lead Critics will assist in maintaining current schedules and assignments.
1. The Lead Critic will be responsible for ensuring that the minimum required number of Critics from his/her Team attends, and submits Reviews for, each assigned Cappies Show.
2. The Lead Critic may contact the Program Director by email with a request to change assignments, not later than 14 days before an assigned Cappies Show.
  1. The Lead Critic will give a reason for the request.
  2. The Lead Critic will provide not less than three Cappies Shows as possible alternative assignments, all three of which must still be listed on Critics' C.I.S. pages as accepting volunteers.
  3. The Program Director will grant such a request, and switch the Team's assignment, unless:
    1. No other Team can be found as a replacement, and
    2. The Cappies Show from which a switch is requested has a small number of Critics on the attendance list.
3. The Program Director may refuse to consider a request to change assignments, for any reason, if such request is made less than 14 days before an assigned Cappies Show.
At Cappies Shows, Lead Critics will assist the Mentors by:
1. Helping maintain professional decorum of that Lead Critic's team.
2. Assisting the Mentors if questions arise about Rules or procedures.
3. Assisting with the post-Discussion clean-up.
At any Cappies Show at which both Mentors are absent, for any reason, the Lead Critics who are present may be responsible for identifying alternative Mentors, unless a Member of the Steering Committee is present, in which case that person will be the Mentor.
1. If no Member of the Steering Committee is present, the Lead Critics who are present will consult among themselves and select two Critics (preferably, but not necessarily, Lead Critics) to serve as Mentors.
2. The Critics who serve as Mentors will complete Post-Show Evaluation Forms and write Reviews, and may participate in Awards Voting.
3. The Critics who serve as Mentors will not select their own Reviews for publication in any Media.
A Lead Critic may be replaced, at any time, for any reason, by:
1. A two-thirds vote of the Steering Committee.
2. The Participating School's Advisor.

Critics

A Critic will be a student who:
1. Is in grades 9 through 12.
2. Is currently enrolled in a Participating School, except a student not currently enrolled in a Participating School may be a Critic on a Regional Team.
3. Has not been prohibited by school authorities from participating in extracurricular activities.
4. Has submitted a Parental Authorization Form for the current Program Year, which has been received by the Program Director, confirming his/her parent's understanding that the Program, Steering Committee, Governing, Board, and Cappies, Inc., cannot be responsible for the:
  1. Safety of transportation to and from Cappies Shows.
  2. The safety of facilities at the Performing School.
  3. The conduct of the Critic or any other Critic.
  4. Any medical needs of the Critic.
5. Has attended a Critics Training in the Program Year.
6. Is reachable by phone.
7. Is accessible by email at one or more of the following locations:
  1. At home.
  2. At a parent's place of work, including on Saturdays and/or Sundays following Cappies Shows attended by the Critic.
  3. At school, including on Saturdays and/or Sundays following Cappies Shows attended by the Critic.
  4. At a nearby residence of a friend or family member, who will provide occasional internet access to the student, including on Saturdays and/or Sundays following Cappies Shows attended by the Critic.
The Advisor of a Participating School will select 3 to 6 Critics for the school's Critics Team, who will be assigned to Cappies Shows at the Initial Lead Critics Meeting.
The Advisor may select 1 to 3 Critics for a Regional Team.
1. Regional Team Critics must be available to attend Cappies Shows during weeks when the Participating School has shows.
2. Regional Team Critics will be assigned, and may be reassigned, by the Program Director, without regard to when the Critics' own Participating Schools have shows.
A Critic may be assigned to, or volunteer (through C.I.S.), for any Cappies Show, unless it:
1. Is performed at the Critic's Participating School, or includes any cast or crew member who is a student at the Critic's Participating School.
2. Is the same play or musical that the Critic's Participating School has selected for a Cappies Show during the current Program Year.
3. Not later than 48 hours before a Cappies Show, a Critic may decline to attend any Cappies Show for which the Critic is on the Attendance List, for any reason, by giving notice through C.I.S.
4. Later than 48 hours before a Cappies Show, a Critic may decline to attend any Cappies Show for which the Critic is on the Attendance List, only for reason of illness, personal emergency, or transportation problems, but must give notice through C.I.S. and the Program Director not later than the scheduled curtain time for the Cappies Show. Disqualifications will be applied if team minimums are not met.
Once on the Roster, a Critic will:
1. Read the Critic binder.
2. Maintain an active email address.
3. Read email not less than once than every two days.
4. Respond to inquiries from the Advisor, Lead Critic, and Program Officials, in a timely manner.
5. Learn how to log in to C.I.S., and become familiar with C.I.S. procedures.
6. Inform C.I.S. about any changes in phone number or email address.
7. Use C.I.S. to volunteer or decline Cappies Shows.
8. Arrange for personal transportation to and from shows.
9. Attend and review the minimum number of required shows.
10. Maintain a current schedule, on C.I.S., by volunteering for a replacement show whenever declining an assigned show.
11. Abide by all Cappies Rules and C.I.S. Procedures.
In case of an illness or personal emergency that requires a Critic to leave a Cappies Show before the end of post-show Discussions:
1. A Critic will notify a Mentor and will be excused.
2. The Critic will not write a Review nor evaluate the Show for Awards
3. The Show will not be credited to the Critic's (or Critics Team's) yearly Review requirement.
A Critic may attend and review any Cappies Show, unless:
1. The show is the same as the Cappies Show performed by the Critic's own Participating School during the Program Year.
2. Either of the Mentors at a Cappies Show is a parent, or other family relative, of the Critic.
3. Critics must attend the school in order to vote with that school team. (If two schools, for example a boys and girls shared Catholic school) then they are either two separate teams or one combined team. The approved application determines which school or combined school a team represents
A Critic who intends to review, or has reviewed, a Cappies Show may not attend any other performances of the same show at the Performing School, either before or after the Cappies Show.
A Critic may decline to attend any Cappies Show to which his/her Team has been assigned, except:
1. The Critic must give notice through C.I.S., and by emailing his/her Team's Lead Critic, who will advise the Critic if his/her declination may subject the Team's Participating School to sanctions.
2. The Critic must volunteer for another Cappies Show, as a replacement.
3. A Critic on a Regional Team may not decline more than two assigned Cappies Shows.
At a Cappies Show, a Critic will:
1. Arrive in the Cappies Room in a timely manner, ordinarily 45 minutes before curtain, and not later than 15 minutes before curtain.
2. Bring a writing implement, a Cappies notebook, the Critic Binder, a blank Critics' Choices and Post-Show Evaluation form, and either a Notes Form or blank sheets for note-taking.
3. Invite no one (including a friend or family member) who is not a Critic into the Cappies Room.
4. Ensure that any friends and family members who accompanied the Critic to the Cappies Show purchase tickets and do not occupy seats reserved for Mentors and Critics.
5. Turn off beepers, cell phones, and other noise-making objects before entering the theater.
6. Safeguard all personal valuables.
7. Make no comment about the Cappies Show outside the Cappies Room, or when persons other than Critics or Mentors are present in the Cappies Room.
8. Attend the entire performance, from curtain to final bows.
9. Attend all Discussions, including the post-show Discussion and Critics' Choices.
10. Not greet or communicate in any manner with anyone in the cast or crew of a Performing School, or with any teacher or administrator at the Performing School, except in the Cappies Room as part of a Mentor-supervised Discussion.
During a Cappies Show, a Critic will:
1. Sit in the area reserved for Critics, with other Critics, and not with other friends or family members.
2. Not use any lighting devices, including pen lights, for note-taking.
3. Not reveal an opinion about any aspect of the Cappies Show, by remark or gesture, except by laughter, applause, or other normal audience reaction.
4. At final bows, applaud in a manner similar to others in the audience.
A Critic who arrives after curtain will, during intermission, report to the Editor Mentor the time of arrival, and may review and evaluate a Cappies Show if the Editor Mentor deems the portion missed to be of no consequence for a fair and complete Review and Post-Show Evaluation.
In the Cappies Room, Critics will:
1. Assist the Mentors in identifying any person who is not a Mentor, Critic, or Program Official, and who should not be present during an intermission or post-show Discussion.
2. Obtain refreshments, in a manner that does not distract a Discussion.
Prior to the Cappies Show, Critics will take note of information provided by the Show Director on the Cappies Show Eligibility Form.
During Discussions, Critics will:
1. Respect the Mentors' authority.
2. Refrain from all side conversations.
3. Raise a hand to speak, and speak only when asked by a Mentor.
4. Stand when speaking.
5. Speak briefly, allowing time for others to speak.
6. Listen courteously and attentively to comments from others.
7. Feel free to disagree with comments made by others, as long as the disagreements are stated respectfully.
8. Feel free to critique any aspect of a Cappies Show, and may mention cast and/or crew by name, as long as the critique is brief, reasonable, constructively stated, and not sarcastic or unduly harsh.
9. Assist the Discussion Mentor in maintaining a constructive tone in the Discussion.
Immediately following the final curtain, Critics will:
1. Go promptly to the Cappies Room.
2. Use a cell phone (or other phone) to arrange for a pick-up to arrive not later than 40 minutes after curtain, if notice is necessary.
During Critics' Choices, Critics will:
1. Assist the Mentors in moving quickly through the categories.
2. Respect consensus choices that may be different from their own.
3. Give scores to each Critic's Choice on a Post-Show Evaluation Form.
4. Use that Form to make any other notations the Critic may wish to see at the time of Awards Voting.
Immediately following the Post-Show Discussion, a Critic will:
1. Not leave the Cappies Room until:
  1. Submitting the Critics' Choices and Post-Show Evaluation Form to the Editor Mentor.
  2. Discarding any personal trash.
  3. Helping to clean up the Cappies Room, as requested by the Mentors.
2. Leave the Performing School promptly.
3. Advise a Mentor if the Critic must wait for a pick-up, to ensure that a Mentor waits with the Critic until the pick-up arrives.
After returning home following a Cappies Show, a Critic will:
1. Write and submit a Review, in a timely manner, consistent with the Rules on Reviews.
2. Tell no one, at any time, anything discussed in the Cappies Room, including Critics' Choices or Post-Show Evaluation Scores.
At all times, a Critic will:
1. Maintain professional decorum and represent the Cappies well, by:
  1. Dressing, and using language, in a manner appropriate to a school setting.
  2. Not revealing, by word or gesture, any opinion about any aspect of a Cappies Show, beyond normal reactions (laughter, applause, or ovations) reasonably consistent with the reactions of other members of the audience.
  3. Showing other Critics the consideration appropriate to other students in a school setting.
  4. Showing gratitude for Parent Boosters who provide refreshments or decorations.
  5. Showing courtesy to members of the audience.
2. Maintain confidentiality, by:
  1. Not discussing with anyone, outside the Cappies Room, the Critic's own opinion about the Cappies Show, while at the Performing School.
  2. Not revealing to anyone, at any time, the Critics' Choices for a Cappies Show, or anything said by any Critics during Discussions at a Cappies Show.
  3. Not discussing with anyone, at any time, how the Critic intends to score any aspect of a Cappies show during Awards Voting.
  4. Not discussing a Cappies Show attended by the Critic, in any personal web page or web-based conversation.
3. Treat Mentors with the respect appropriate to a teacher in a school setting.
4. Follow all Rules and C.I.S. Procedures.
If a Program's Steering Committee has determined that a Critic has violated any Rule on confidentiality, the Steering Committee will suspend or dismiss that Critic from his/her Critics Team, disqualification of all that Critic's reviews from the Critics Team's totals, and disqualify that Critic from Awards Voting.
If Mentors observe serious Critic misbehavior:
1. Mentors are authorized to:
  1. Reprimand a Critic.
  2. Request a Critic's name and school name.
  3. Make a report to the Program Director.
  4. Order a Critic to leave the Cappies Room, and/or Performing School, in case of disruptive misbehavior.
2. Upon receiving a report of serious Critic misbehavior, the Program Director will notify the Advisor at the Critic's Participating School.
A Critic may be removed from a Critics Team:
1. 1. 1. For an act of plagiarism in a submitted review.
    2. At any time, for any reason, by his/her school's Advisor.
    3. At any time, for any reason, by a two-thirds vote of the Steering Committee.
    4. For failing on two occasions to submit a Review for a Cappies Show the Critic has attended.
To reinstate a Critic who has been removed from the Roster, the Advisor at a Participating School will email a request for reinstatement to the Program Director.

Critics' Choices

After an Awards-eligible Cappies Show, following a post-show Discussion of not less than 10 minutes, the Discussion Mentor will assist Critics in selecting Critics' Choices for all Awards Categories for which the Show is eligible, and for which Critics may later vote.
If any questions of Award eligibility arise, the Discussion Mentor, after consulting with any Lead Critics who are present at the Discussion, will interpret the Rules to resolve any such questions.
Mentor decisions about Award eligibility will be final, except:
1. Lead Critics are authorized to email the Program Director if any question exists about the correct application of Award eligibility Rules by the Discussion Mentor.
2. In case of a clear misapplication of Award eligibility Rules, the Program Director may alter Critics' Choices in conformance with the Rules, after consulting with at least one Mentor and one Lead Critic who were present.
3. Prior to Awards Voting, the Program Director will confirm the accuracy of the nonperforming Critics' Choices, and the name spellings of all Critics' Choices, with the Advisors of Performing Schools, and may edit Critics' Choices if any inaccuracies are discovered.
There will be only one Critics' Choice per Category.
1. In making a Critics' Choice, Critics will select the individual(s), or group, whom they would score the highest in that Category.
  1. There is no limit to the number of times any one individual can be named a Critics' Choice in any Cappies Show.
  2. Critics will not seek to name the maximum possible number of performers as Critics' Choices.
  3. There is no minimum score to become a Critics' Choice, and there need be no expectation that a Critics' Choice will later be voted a Nominee.
2. For any nonperforming Category, or for the Ensemble Category, a Critics' Choice may encompass the work of as many as four named individuals, or a larger group of unnamed individuals who will be described as a group. (Example: Sam and up to three additional names; Sam and the crew; or, The crew.)
3. Critics will decide Critics' Choices by consensus or vote, as required.
4. For any Category for which there is disagreement among Critics, the Discussion Mentor will conduct a series of votes, culminating in a vote between two finalists, one of whom must receive a majority of votes.
  1. If the vote between the two finalists is a tie, the Discussion Mentor will repeat the vote.
  2. If the second vote is still a tie, the Discussion Mentor will break the tie, after consultation with the Editor Mentor.
5. For any Category except Play, Musical, and Song (in a Musical), Critics may decide by consensus or vote to select no Critics' Choice.
  1. Critics may only do this if, under the Rules, no Candidate qualifies for this Category.
  2. Critics must select a Critics' Choice if any Candidate qualifies under the Rules, even if the Candidate selected is one they expect to score low.
6. Following each Critic's Choice selection, the Discussion Mentor will read aloud the name of the person(s) or group selected, and will spell the name(s) of the person(s) or group.
Regional Programs will determine when Critic's Choices will be officially announced for each Cappies Show. By default, C.I.S. makes Critic's Choices available immediately after the Editor Mentor has posted them. If a Regional Program wishes to not reveal Critics' Choices, this request must be made in the Regional Application at the beginning of each year.
1. If an Advisor, Show Director, or Mentor becomes aware that Critics' Choices have been revealed prior to their posting in C.I.S., they must advise the Program Director immediately.
2. Any Critic who reveals Critics' Choices prior to their posting in C.I.S. is subject to sanctions from the Steering Committee, including suspension or removal from the Roster.
3. Show Directors should take the opportunity to check spelling and accuracy of Critics' Choices once they are posted in C.I.S. since these selections could potentially become Nominees.
If a Mentor or Lead Critic believes that any Rule has not been correctly applied in the selection of any Critics' Choice, that Mentor or Lead Critic will email the Program Director, who will:
1. Make a decision whether the Critics' Choice has been correctly decided, after consulting with Mentors, and Lead Critics, as appropriate.
2. Upon a determination that a Rule has not been correctly applied, determine the correct Critics' Choice.
3. Advise all Mentor and Critic attendees of the Cappies Show of any change in the Critics' Choice.
If Critics' Choice data are missing, the Program Director will determine Critics' Choices by consulting with Mentors and Lead Critics present at that Show.
The Program Director will enter Critics' Choices on C.I.S., thereby placing them on the Awards Ballot.
The Program Director will correct any clear errors in Critics' Choices, prior to Awards Voting, by confirming their accuracy with the Advisor of the Performing School.
If, during Awards Voting, Critics' Choice errors are identified, and are confirmed by the Program Director in consultation with Proctors and Critics who are present, those errors will be corrected.

Post-Show Evaluations

During or following the selection of Critics' Choices, Critics will score a Cappies Show by using Post-Show Evaluation Forms, for Play or Musical, as appropriate.
1. All Critics will score each Critics' Choice.
2. All Critics will score the same Critics' Choice (i.e., the same named individual or group) in each Category.
3. Each Critic will score independently, and may not consult with any other Critic when determining Scores.
4. Critics may not score a Critics' Choice low for the reason that the Critic did not think that Candidate should have been selected.
5. Each Critic's Post-Show Evaluation Scores will be preliminary only, and may be freely changed when casts Award votes, entirely at the discretion of the Critic.
In scoring Post-Show Evaluation Forms, Critics will apply the following ten point scale:
10 – Sensational, professional quality, definitely the best show you have ever seen
9 – Superior, almost professional, possibly the best you have ever seen
8 – Excellent, among the best you have seen
7 – Very good, well above average for a high school play
6 – Good, a little above average for a high school play
4 or 5 – About average for a high school play
1 to 3 – Below average for a high school play
In scoring, a "10" will be extremely rare, "9" will be rare, and a "5" or "6" the most common score.
Each Critic will score in a manner reasonably similar to other Critics.
1. For any individual Cappies Show, a Critic may give any Evaluation Scores.
2. Across all Cappies Shows scored by a Critic, s/he will be encouraged, but not required, to maintain a Mean Evaluation Score of between 5.0 and 6.0.
3. In Award Voting, a Critic's votes will not be accepted if, across all Cappies Shows scored by that Critic, his/her overall Mean Evaluation Score is lower than 4.0 or greater than 7.0.
Each Critic may make notations about intended Award or Nomination Points on the Post-Show Evaluation Forms.
A Mentor may not influence, comment upon, or otherwise discuss Post-Show Evaluation Scores, at any time.
Before leaving, each Critic will submit a completed Post-Show Evaluation Form to the Editor Mentor.
1. When a Critic has completed and submitted a Post-Show Evaluation Form, s/he may leave.
2. If a Critic fails to submit a Post-Show Evaluation Form before departing, for any reason, s/he may thereafter submit it by mail, email, or fax to the Program Director.
After leaving the Cappies Show, Mentors and Critics may not discuss Post-Show Evaluation Scores with anyone, at any time.
1. If an Advisor, Show Director, or Mentor becomes aware that Post-Show Evaluation Scores have been revealed, they must advise the Program Director immediately.
2. Any Critic who reveals Post-Show Evaluation Scores is subject to sanctions from the Steering Committee, including suspension or removal from the Roster.
Within 3 days after the Cappies Show, the Editor Mentor will deliver, mail, or fax all Post-Show Evaluation Forms to the Program Director.

Reviews

A Critic who attends a Cappies Show must submit a Review in a timely manner, through the Cappies Information Services (C.I.S.).
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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).
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.
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.
As advised by the Steering Committee, the Editor Mentor will scan reviews selected for major media for possible internet copying.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.

Award Eligibility

Critics, and cast and crew in Cappies Shows, will be considered for ("Cappie") Nominations and Awards.
To be eligible for a Nomination and/or Award, a Candidate must currently be a student in grade 9 through 12.
1. A middle or intermediate school student will be eligible for Awards only if currently in ninth grade.
2. The work of a student of grade 8 or below will not disqualify a Cappies Show from Award eligibility in any Category, as long as more than half of all work in that Category is done by students in grades 9 through 12.
3. The work of an adult, or a student beyond grade level 12, may disqualify a Cappies Show from Award eligibility in one or more Categories, even though more than half of all work is done by students in grades 9 through 12.
Students in grades 9 through 12 who attend schools other than the Performing School are Awards eligible, for work in a Performing School's Cappies Show.
The designation of performer categories by Play or Musical will be determined by the Award eligibility of the Cappies Show for the Play or Musical Category.
1. A Musical is any Cappies Show with six or more musical numbers, sung by the performing cast.
2. A Play is any Cappies Show that is not a Musical.
A Candidate in a Play or Musical will be eligible for any Award, except for those specifically limited to either Play or Musical by title or Rule, except:
1. For a Candidate in a Play to be eligible in the Dancer and/or Vocalist Categories, the dance and/or vocals must be integral to the Play.
2. A musical number in a Play is not eligible for the Song Category.
The ineligibility of a Cappies Show in any one Category (including Play or Musical) does not affect its eligibility for any other Category.
A Steering Committee will determine a Program's Rules for individual Critics Awards, and whether a Program will have two or four Featured awards.
Award Categories with a gender designation will be limited to persons of that gender, regardless of the gender of any character portrayed by that person.
A student will be limited in the number of Nominations (and Awards) s/he can receive in any single year.
1. In a Program that allows one Cappies Show per Participating School, for any Cappies Show:
  1. A named student may receive no more than one Nomination (and Award) in the performing Categories, and one nomination in non-performing Categories (not including Critics Awards).
    1. The "non-performing" awards include Marketing and Publicity, Sound, Lighting, Sets, Costumes, Make-Up, Props, Special Effects and Technologies, Stage Management and Crew, Orchestra, Choreography, and Creativity.
    2. A named individual who receives a Nomination or Award may be an unnamed part of a group Award (e.g., Ensemble, Song, Play, Musical), without limit.
    3. If an individual who receives another Nomination or Award is a named part of a group Nomination, his/her name may be taken off the group Nomination or Award, in a manner consistent with the Award Rules.
  2. A Candidate may receive any Critics Nomination (and Award) in addition to any of the above, without limit.
2. In a Program that allows two Cappies Shows per Participating School, for any Cappies Show (Each Cappies show is considered its own entity):
  1. A named student may receive one Nomination (and Award) in the performing Categories, or in non-performing Categories (not including Critics Awards), in each Cappies show in which s/he performed.
  2. A named student may receive more than one Nomination in one Category.
3. If a Candidate is named in more than the allowable number of non-performing Category, with one or more of those categories including the names of a group of Candidates:
  1. The Candidate's name will be kept on any Category:
    1. For which s/he wins an Award,
    2. (If no Awards are won by that Candidate): In which the Candidate is the only named individual, or
    3. (If neither of the above conditions is present): In which the Candidate's group has received the highest Mean Evaluation Score.
      1. The Candidate's name will be removed from the other Category.
      2. The Candidate will not be notified of any name removal required by this Rule.
4. If a Candidate is named individually in more than one Category:
  1. In performing categories, the Candidate will be nominated in:
    1. Whichever Category the Candidate wins an Award.
    2. If the Candidate does not win an Award, or would win more than one Award in the absence of these Rules, the Candidate will receive a Nomination in the following priority ranking of Categories: Lead, Supporting, Comic, Vocalist, Dancer.
  2. In non-performing categories, the Candidate will be nominated in:
    1. Whichever Category the Candidate wins an Award.
    2. If the Candidate does not win an Award, or would win more than one Award in the absence of these Rules, the Candidate will be nominated in the Category for which the Candidate has received the highest Mean Evaluation Score.
5. A Candidate may be on the Awards Ballot for one or more Cappies Shows at his/her own school and for one or more Cappies shows at another school.
  1. Such a Candidate may not receive more total Nominations than the Candidate could receive for Cappies Shows at the Candidate's own school.
  2. For any such Candidate, the usual Nomination rules apply, in determining which Nomination will be given.
6. A Candidate who received one or more Nominations (and Awards) in a prior Program Year may receive them again, without limit, in the same or other Categories.
Prior to a Cappies Show, the Advisor of the Performing School may ask the Program Director for an Advisory Opinion about any question of Award eligibility.
If a Candidate is given a Nomination or Award as a result of a mistake discovered after the Nomination or Award is announced:
1. Once announced, a Nomination will not be removed, unless the Candidate has received Nominations in more than one Category because his/her name was spelled differently in those two categories, in which case the Nomination will be removed in a manner consistent with the Rules on multiple Nominations.
2. If any Candidate was denied a Nomination by any other mistake, that Candidate will receive a Nomination.
  1. Any such Nomination will be in addition to other Nominations, and will not require any other Nomination to be withdrawn.
  2. In this circumstance, the number of announced Nominations may exceed the usual limits set by the Rules.
Once announced, an Award will not be removed, under any circumstances.

Award Categories

Awards will be defined in, and be limited to, designated Categories.
For each Award Category except the Critics Awards, the following will be factors:
1. Quality of presentation.
2. Originality and creativity.
3. Range of expression.
4. Degree of difficulty.
The following Awards will be determined by Scores computed by Cappies Information Services (C.I.S.):
1. Critic. All individual Critic Awards are determined by an objective score given all Critics who submitted the required minimum number of Reviews and participated in Awards Voting. Each Critic's score is based 50 percent on number of Reviews, 50 percent on number of selections (for top media and all media), pursuant to a normalized formula set by the Governing Board. Ties will be resolved by average rank of selections (as a percentage of all Reviews submitted at Cappies Shows reviewed by a Critic). Critic awards may be determined by:
  1. Gender (Female and Male Critic), or
  2. Year in School, as:
    1. Two Awards: "Graduating Critic" (for those in, or recently having completed, the 12^th grade), and "Rising Critic" (9^th through 11^th grades).
    2. Three Awards: or three Critics Awards, "Graduating Critic," "Returning Critic," and "Underclass Critic" (9^th and 10^th grades), or
    3. Four Awards: "Graduating Critic" (12^th grade), "Junior Critic" (11^th grade), Sophomore Critic" (10^th grade), and "Freshman Critic" (9^th grade).
2. Critics Team. This Award is based on the performance of the six highest-scoring Critics, including Regional Team Critics, from a Participating School. To be eligible for inclusion, each Critic of the Critics Team must have reviewed the required minimum number of shows and at least two critics from the team must have participated in voting. The Team score is based 50 percent on number of Reviews, 50 percent on number of selections for top media and all media, pursuant to a normalized formula set by the Governing Board. Ties will be resolved by comparing the scores of the highest-scoring individual Critics, and (if necessary) the next highest-scoring Critics, until a determination can be made.
The following Awards will be voted by Critics in Awards Voting, based on Critics' Choices at Cappies Shows:
1. Regional chapters have the choice of splitting tech categories for Play and Musical.
2. Marketing and publicity refers to the publicity campaign for the produced play or musical. The materials or description of campaigns must be available to the Critics prior to the show and must be the original work of a student of group of students in grades 9 through 12. This may include, but is not limited to: (a) graphic design, (b) poster, (c) program, (d) web site, (e) press release, (f) trailer or other media, or (g) lobby display.
  1. Significant documentation that clarifies the student versus adult contributions for each aspect of the work is strongly recommended. If either component (design and/or execution) is primarily student done, then the production is eligible for an award in that technical category, assuming that there is substantial documentation to prove that element was student done.
  2. A completely student-designed work may be weighted more heavily.
3. Sound. This Award incorporates the technical aspects of sound, including amplified sound, sound effects, and music not performed by live musicians. The extent of sound amplification, the frequency and timing of sound cues, the visual aspects of the placement of sound equipment, and the use of sound equipment by performers, are factors. All work must be done by or under the direction of one student or a small group of students, but adult guidance is permissible.
  1. A completely student-designed work may be weighted more heavily.
4. Lighting. This Award incorporates the design and execution of stage lighting, including lights that are part of any sets, costumes, props, or still-projection (gobo) special effects. The timing and coordination of light cues, and the use of lit areas by the cast on stage, are factors. All work must be done by or under the direction of one student or a small group of students, but adult guidance is permissible.
  1. A completely student-designed work may be weighted more heavily.
5. Sets. This Award incorporates the design, construction, and finishing work on all scenes, including back walls, stage trim, furniture, and every physical item other than lights, costumes, and hand-held props. All design work must be done by or under the direction of one student or a small group of students, but adult guidance is permissible. A majority of the construction and finishing work must be done by students, but some adult participation is permissible, especially as required to ensure performer safety. Furniture need not be made by students. Crew work (in set changes) is not a factor.
  1. Significant documentation that clarifies the student versus adult contributions for each aspect of the work is strongly recommended. If either component (design and/or execution) is primarily student done, then the production is eligible for an award in that technical category, assuming that there is substantial documentation to prove that element was student done.
  2. (In the past if the set design was done by an adult then no set award was possible even if the students did all the building.)
  3. A completely student-designed work may be weighted more heavily.
6. Costumes. This Award incorporates the design, assembly, and making of costumes, and the speed of costume changes. Costumes are defined as anything worn by performers, including hats and footwear. All design and assembly must be done by or under the direction of one student or a small group of students, but adult guidance is permissible. Some non-student-made costumes (e.g., costumes that are rented, made by parents, drawn from a school's costume collection, and/or borrowed from elsewhere) are permissible, but only if a list of rented or adult-constructed costumes is provided to Critics prior to the show.
  1. Significant documentation that clarifies the student versus adult contributions for each aspect of the work is strongly recommended. If either component (design and/or execution) is primarily student done, then the production is eligible for an award in that technical category, assuming that there is substantial documentation to prove that element was student done.
  2. A completely student-designed work may be weighted more heavily.
7. Make-Up. This Award incorporates the design and execution of all facial (and other) cosmetics, hair, nails, and props (e.g., fake noses, ears, hands, or feet) attached to performers' bodies. All work must be done by or under the direction of one student or a small group of students, but adult guidance is permissible.
  1. Significant documentation that clarifies the student versus adult contributions for each aspect of the work is strongly recommended. If either component (design and/or execution) is primarily student done, then the production is eligible for an award in that technical category, assuming that there is substantial documentation to prove that element was student done.
  2. A completely student-designed work may be weighted more heavily.
8. Props. This Award incorporates the design, construction or collection, and use of student-designed props that are neither sets nor costumes. Examples include, but are not limited to, weapons, food, beverage containers, or live animals. This work must be specifically identified to Critics prior to a show. All work must be done by or under the direction of one student or a small group of students, but adult guidance is permissible. The quality of performer use of props is a factor, but a performer who uses props (e.g., a puppeteer or magician) may be considered only if s/he assisted in the design and/or construction of the props.
  1. A completely student-designed work may be weighted more heavily.
9. Special Effects and/or Technologies. This aspect of theatre refers to the design, construction, or collection of special effects and/or technologies that are neither sound nor lighting. Examples include, but are not limited to, video, magic, fog, aromas, projections, and digital effects. This work must be specifically identified to Critics prior to a show. All work must be done by or under the direction of one student or a small group of students in grades 9 through 12, but adult guidance is permissible. The quality of performer-use of effects is a factor, but a performer who uses effects (for instance, a magician) may be considered only if she/he assisted in the design and/or construction of the effects.
  1. Significant documentation that clarifies the student versus adult contributions for each aspect of the work is strongly recommended. If either component (design and/or execution) is primarily student done, then the production is eligible for an award in that technical category, assuming that there is substantial documentation to prove that element was student done.
  2. A completely student-designed work may be weighted more heavily.
10. Stage Management and Stage Crew. This Award incorporates the effectiveness and timing of all cues and scene changes. In addition to the performance, the stage management should be evaluated on the evidence provided in the Cappies Room. e.g. prompt book, rehearsal reports, pre/post show check lists All work must be done by or under the direction of a student stage manager or a student management team, but adult guidance is permissible.
  1. A completely student-designed work may be weighted more heavily.
11. Orchestra. This Award is for a group of musical accompanists that performs not less than six full songs, as accompaniment to vocalists, and will be evaluated for tone, pitch, authority, balance, pace, performer support, and other factors of musicianship that may contribute to a successful show. An orchestra may be a combo, band, orchestra, or any other group of not less than 3 musicians, of whom not less than 80 percent are students. (A four-member orchestra must be all students, a 5- to 9-member orchestra may have one adult, a 10- to 14-member orchestra may have two adults, etc.) A conductor who is an adult and does not play an instrument will not be included in this percentage. Whether the score is performed as written for professional orchestras, or performed as simplified for student orchestras (by the publisher or by the school's own music director), is a factor.
12. Choreography. This Award incorporates the design and teaching of dance choreography, stage combat, and/or other synchronized on-stage movements. To be eligible, a show must have a majority of its musical numbers, stage combat, and/or synchronized scenes designed, and taught to performers, by a student, separate students, or a small group of students, but adult guidance is permissible. Performer execution of the choreography is a factor. The entire set of student-designed choreography will be evaluated as a whole. Some adult choreography is permissible, as long as its location in the show is clearly identified to Critics in advance.
13. Creativity refers to creative achievement – by a student or group of students in grades 9 through 12 – not encompassed in another category. Only one creative achievement may be identified by the critics as the Critics' Choice in each Cappies show. Areas of creative achievement include, but are not limited to: (A) Musicianship; (B) Composing; (C) Lyric Writing; (D) Play Writing; and (E) Directing. Guidelines for evaluating these areas of creative achievement are given below and on the following pages
14. Ensemble. This award refers to a distinct and recognizable group of performers who frequently (at a minimum, in more than one scene) appear on stage together as an intended/named unit, but it may not include the entire cast, or an adult in a prominent role. A majority of the ensemble performers must be students in grades 9 through 12. In a Musical, the Ensemble must be supporting in at least one song..In a Musical, this award is intended to recognize a chorus, although other ensemble groups are eligible. As long as they appear together, they may represent different character groups. For example, the Winkies/Ozians in "The Wiz", the secretaries in "Thoroughly Modern Millie," or the villagers/utensils OR the Silly Girls in "Beauty and the Beast."Though the ensemble may include a performer eligible for a lead category, the ensemble may not solely consist of leading actors" e.g. The Jets (yes, ALL of them) are ok. The Delta Nu's can be an ensemble, even though Elle is among them. In the case of an ensemble play where there are no leads, the local steering committee can be contacted for exceptions to this rule.
15. Featured Actor/Actress.A Featured performer creates and defines a memorable character, in a role that may OR may not have significant stage time, character presentation, and involvement in the story line. A role that is too small to qualify as Supporting will qualify as Featured. Examples in a musical are: Grandmother Berthe in "Pippin", Freddy in "My Fair Lady", and Marcellus in "The Music Man"."
16. Female Dancer. This Award is for a performer in any role, whether lead, supporting, or featured, who may either dance solo or as part of an ensemble, but who must be featured, at least briefly, in one or more dance numbers, but not necessarily as a solo. The dance will be evaluated for movement, expression, timing, technique (e.g., leaps, turns, jumps, or pirouettes), and the effectiveness of their integration. Non-dance movements (including gymnastics) may be considered, if part of a dance sequence. A performer’s singing and acting, in dance scenes or elsewhere, are not factors.
17. Male Dancer. This Award applies the same criteria as Female Dancer.
18. Female Vocalist. This Award is for a performer in a lead or supporting role who is a principal soloist in at least two songs. A vocalist will be evaluated for tone, pitch, authority, phrasing, characterization, and presentation. The quality of the performer's acting (other than in songs), dancing, and the qualities of the song composition, accompaniment, and sound or other tech work during the performer's vocals, are not factors.
19. Male Vocalist. This Award applies the same criteria as Female Vocalist.
20. Comic Actress/Actor in a Play/Musical. A Comic actor or actress encompasses a role “reasonably” intended by the playwright to be comedic and will be evaluated for character, movement, expression, difficulty of role, and timing. The comic performer should hold a significant presence in at least one scene. Any smaller presence, such as, but not limited to, a “one-liner” walk-on role should not be considered adequate for qualification. A role that qualifies for lead or supporting is automatically considered large enough to qualify for comic. A role that qualifies for featured may/may not be considered large enough to quality for comic. Critics should keep in mind that it is more difficult to maintain comedy for multiple acts than for a few moments. Examples would include Leaf Coneybear in "Putnam County Spelling Bee", Agatha in "The Children’s Hour", and Eulalie Shinn in "The Music Man", Eugene in "Grease". Examples of characters that would NOT qualify include Giles Corey in "The Crucible", Bum in "Hairspray", and Grocery Boy in "The Children’s Hour".
21. Supporting Actress/Actor in a Play/Musical. A Supporting Actress/Actor performs in a supporting, but not lead, role with significant stage time, character presentation, and involvement in the story line. A role that is too large to qualify as Featured will qualify as supporting. In a Musical, a Supporting performer may or may not be a principal soloist in at least one song - or not sing at all. To be eligible Supporting performers must be in grades 9 through 12." Examples would be the King in "Once Upon a Mattress" and the Wicked Witch of the West in "The Wizard of Oz".
22. Lead Actress in a Play. This Award is for a lead actress in a leading role, with substantial stage time, character development, and centrality to the story line.
23. Lead Actor in a Play. This Award applies the same criteria as Lead Actress in a Play.
24. Lead Actress in a Musical. This Award applies the same criteria as Lead Actress in a Play, except the performer must be a principal vocalist in at least two songs.
25. Lead Actor in a Musical. This Award applies the same criteria as Lead Actress in a Musical.
26. Song. This Award is for the best-performed song in a Musical. A song will be evaluated purely on the basis of its presentation by a cast, crew, and orchestra, including voice, dance, acting, staging, sound and other tech work, accompaniment, and any other elements of the song's presentation. The quality of the composition, lyrics, and adaptation (even if student-done), the extent of student participation in the orchestra, and the quality of any other presentation of the same song (earlier or later in the Musical), are not factors. To be eligible, a song must be in a Musical, and must not include any solo lines by an adult. A majority of the performers with solo lines in the song, and a majority of all performers in the song, must be students in grades 9 through 12.
27. Play. This Award is for the performance as an entirety. To be eligible, a show must contain less than six musical numbers, sung by the performing cast. It will be evaluated as a production, and the quality of the published work (i.e., the work of the playwright) is not a factor. It will be evaluated as a whole, including all on- and off-stage elements. It may not have an adult in any prominent or lead role, and the extent of adult participation in off-stage roles is a factor.
28. Musical. This Award applies the same criteria as Play, except it includes an evaluation of the musical and dance performance. To be eligible, a show must contain six or more musical numbers sung by the performing cast. Live accompaniment is not required.
A Special Award for Service is determined by the Steering Committee.
In any Program Year, a Steering Committee may give, but is not required to give, one or more of these Awards.
1. A Special Award for Service may be presented only to students in grades 9 to 12 during the Program Year, for extraordinary work on behalf of high school theater, which may include:
  1. Work on behalf of the Cappies.
  2. Work on behalf of high school theater in the Program area.
2. To qualify for a Special Award for Service, a Candidate must be:
  1. Recommended by a Member of the Steering Committee.
  2. Approved by not less than two-thirds of the Steering Committee, who must determine that the Candidate's work is an extraordinary achievement, far beyond what one normally sees in student work.

Awards Voting

Awards Voting will take place through Ballots constructed on, and administered, computed, and interpreted by, Cappies Information Services (C.I.S.).
1. There will be one Ballot per Award Category.
2. Each Ballot will include Candidates, who will all be Critics' Choices from Awards-eligible Participating Schools, in that Category.
  1. A Critic will only vote for Candidates in Cappies Shows for which s/he has submitted a Review.
  2. Critics must attend the school in order to vote with that school team. (If two schools, for example a boys and girls shared Catholic school) then they are either two separate teams or one combined team. The approved application determines which school or combined school a team represents
  3. When voting, a Critic may have access to his/her Post-Show Evaluation Form, and Review, for each Cappies Shows for which s/he has submitted a Review.
    1. A Critic may cast a vote notwithstanding the absence of his/her Post-Show Evaluation Form, or inaccessibility of his/her Review.
    2. A Critic may mark any Evaluation Score for a Candidate on a Ballot, and is not bound in any way by any Score marked on a Post-Show Evaluation Form.
  4. A Critic will not vote for any Category in which s/he has a personal stake in the outcome, including when a Critic:
    1. Is a named Candidate.
    2. Is an unnamed member of an Ensemble or Orchestra Candidate.
    3. Performed as a soloist, or in a duet, in a Song Candidate.
    4. Has any other circumstance that might call into question the Critic's impartiality.
On each Ballot, a Critic will vote in four ways.
1. Evaluation Scores, on the same 1 to 10 scale used in the Post-Show Evaluation Forms.
  1. Each voting Critic must have a Mean Evaluation Score of not less than 4.0 and not greater than 7.0.
  2. Each voting Critic will be encouraged to have a Mean Evaluation Score of between 5.0 and 6.0.
2. Tie-Breaks, through which the Critic will rank Candidates on the same Ballot to whom has given the same Score.
3. Nomination Points, of which the Critic will be allocated five per Review, to be allocated among all Award Candidates, in a manner described in the C.I.S. Voting Procedures.
  1. A Critic may give only one Nomination Point to any one Candidate on a Ballot.
  2. A Critic must give one-fifth of his/her Nomination Points to Candidates in the non-performing Categories.
  3. On any Award Category ballot, a Critic may give no more than the number of Nomination Points authorized for that Program as the maximum number of Nominees per Award Category.
  4. On any Award Category ballot, a Critic may not give a Nomination Point to a Candidate whom the Critic has ranked lower than a Candidate to whom the Critic has not given a Nomination Point.
4. Award Points, of which the Critic will be allocated one per Review, to be allocated among all Award Candidates, in a manner described in the C.I.S. Voting Procedures.
  1. On any Award Category ballot, a Critic may give no more than one Award Point.
  2. A Critic must give one-fifth of his/her Award Points to Candidates in the non-performing Categories.
  3. On any Award Category ballot, a Critic may give either one Award Point, or no Award Points.
  4. On any Award Category ballot, a Critic may not give an Award Point to a Candidate whom the Critic has ranked lower than a Candidate to whom the Critic has not given an Award Point.
Awards Voting will be limited to Critics eligible under the Rules.
1. Voting eligibility will be determined based upon Review data in C.I.S., and will be presumed accurate unless the Program Director receives an email from a Critic identifying a possible inaccuracy in his/her data.
2. No critic or team may review or vote for any Cappies show if any member of that team is a performer or crew member in the performing school.
3. For a Cappies Show that takes place within 72 hours prior to Awards Voting, the Editor Mentor will enter attendance data immediately after the Cappies Show.
4. The Steering Committee may authorize the Program Director to authorize Awards Voting by any Critic who has submitted less than the minimum number required for Voting eligibility, but only if:
  1. The Critic has reviewed at least 3 Cappies Shows, or two Cappies Shows in a Program that has set 3 as the minimum number for Voting eligibility, and
  2. During the final week of Cappies Shows, the Critic was unable to attend a Cappies Show for which the Critic had volunteered, because of illness, personal emergency, or other reason the Program Director deems an acceptable reason, or
  3. At any time during the Program Year, the Critic attempted but failed to attend a Cappies Show for which the Critic had volunteered, because of a Program error or other circumstance beyond the Critic's control that the Program Director deems an acceptable reason, or
  4. The Critic reviewed a Cappies Show determined by the Program Director to require additional Voting critics.
Prior to the Awards Voting, consistent with C.I.S. Procedures, the Program Director will enter into C.I.S. all relevant data pertaining to:
1. Critics' Choices for Cappies Shows eligible for Awards, confirming the accurate spelling of names.
2. Critics' eligibility for Awards Voting.
3. Critics' Awards.
4. The Awards eligibility of all Participating Schools.
Critics will vote in person, at a designated site.
1. The Program Director will set and announce a date for Awards Voting, not later than 30 days before such date.
  1. The Program Director may authorize an alternative voting date, not more than two days before, or one day after, the main Awards Voting date, for Critics who cannot attend the other date for reasons of religious observance or Critics whose Advisors have stated a good reason for their being unable to be present at the main Awards Voting date.
  2. The Program Director may authorize alternative start times for Awards Voting.
2. Awards Voting will take place at one location that will be equipped with on-line computers, unless the Steering Committee determines that more than one location is required.
  1. Critics will log in with confidential passwords.
  2. Critics will not consult with each other, nor be seated next to a Critic from his/her Team.
3. In unusual circumstances, and not more than one day before or after Awards Voting, the Program Director may enable a Critic to vote absentee, in the presence of a Proctor, or while on the phone with the Program Director (or designee).
  1. This will be allowed only if any Ballot Candidates have been changed subsequent to the Critic's vote, or if a Cappies Show that may not have a sufficient number of Critic evaluators without including one or more absentee voters, or in any other circumstance authorized by the Steering Committee.
  2. A Proctor will supervise any such absentee voting, by remaining on the phone with the Critic.
The Program Director will select one or more Proctors to supervise Awards Voting at each location, one or more Trustees to receive the Voting Results, and one Auditor to Certify the Voting Results.
1. Proctors and Trustees may include any Member of the Steering Committee, regardless of school affiliation, and any other person who has no current or former affiliation with an Awards-eligible school. No Proctor will have the role of Trustee.
2. One Trustee must be either the Chair or Program Director, and all Trustees must be persons who are knowledgeable about the Awards Voting Rules, including decision rules for all Nominations and Awards. No Trustee will have the role of Proctor.
3. The Auditor may not be a Member of the Steering Committee, must not have any current or former affiliation with an Awards-eligible school, and may be, but need not be, knowledgeable about Award Voting Rules.
4. Prior to Awards Voting, a Proctor will learn, and become knowledgeable about, C.I.S. Voting Procedures.
5. At the Awards Voting site, before each group of Critics starts to vote, Proctors will:
  1. Ensure that the only persons present at the Awards Voting site are Proctor(s), voting Critics, Steering Committee Members, the Web Coordinator, and any other person(s) authorized by the Program Director.
  2. Return Post-Show Evaluation Forms to Critics, for shows they attended and reviewed.
  3. Provide copies of show programs of all Awards-eligible shows, to the extent practicable.
  4. Read a statement provided by The Cappies.
6. While Critics vote, the Proctor(s) will ensure that they vote, and that all aspects of Awards Voting take place, in the manner prescribed in the C.I.S. Voting Procedures.
7. After each Critic votes, the Proctor(s) will confirm that the Critic's vote has been recorded.
8. After all Critics have voted, the Proctor will review the list of Critics who have voted, to identify any Participating School that did not have at least two Critics (including Regional Team Critics) who voted, and will report any such findings to the Program Director.
During Awards Voting, Proctors will make a substantial effort to identify and correct any errors in the posting, and name spelling, of Ballot Candidates.
1. During the first several rounds of Award Voting, a Proctor will ask Critics to confirm that the Critics' Choices marked on their Post-Show Evaluation Forms match what is on their Ballots.
2. If any Critic identifies a possible error, a Proctor will identify and assemble other Critics who attended the relevant Cappies Show, to confirm the possible error.
3. If a Ballot error is identified before any Critic has completed voting, the Program Director will make the necessary correction.
4. If an error is identified after any Critic has completed voting, the Program Director will determine how many Critic votes may have been affected by the error, and the Steering Committee will determine whether the error should be corrected.
5. If an error is identified, regardless whether the error is corrected or not, the Program Director will notify the Advisor of any school with a Ballot Candidate affected by the error to describe the error and the Steering Committee's decision.
6. If an error is corrected, the Critics' Choice list should be changed immediately, to conform to the correction.
Upon the conclusion of Awards Voting, if any Participating School did not have at least two voting Critics, the Program Director will, through C.I.S., remove that school's Cappies Show(s) from awards consideration.
Critics' Choices will be posted as soon as practicable after the final groups of Critics have started to vote.
1. If an error is identified after Critics' Choices are posted, the Program Director will correct that error.
2. If any person is erroneously listed in Critics' Choice postings, the Program Director will notify the Advisor of the school in whose Cappies Show that person participated, identify the error, describe the Candidates who were in fact on the ballot, and explain that, by Rule, the Critics' Choice postings must be persons who were in fact Ballot Candidates.

Voting Results

The Trustee(s) will manage the process of:
1. Determining the Voting Results.
2. Maintaining the confidentiality of Voting Results.
3. Preparing Voting Results for Audit and Certification.
When the last Critic has voted, and after the Proctor(s) has closed the Awards Voting, the Trustee(s) will download and interpret the Voting Results in the manner prescribed in the Cappies Information Services (CIS) Voting Procedures.
CIS has been developed to provide the ultimate in fairness among critics, the number of shows they have seen, and the awards points they have earned from writing reviews and having these reviews published. It also provides the ultimate in fairness to schools no matter how many critics were in attendance at the Cappies Show.
1. Critics only vote for the shows that they have seen and reviewed.
2. Critics are not allowed to vote in categories for which they are nominated.
3. Critics earn voting points for every show they have reviewed and for every review published
4. C.I.S. equalizes attendance across all shows using the mathematical formulas described below.

Performance and Technical Categories. First, overall rankings of categories are built in to CIS. This category ranking ensures that:

A student actor is awarded a Cappie in the highest Acting Award Category for which s/he has been nominated and is the top scoring actor as determined by the critics.
A student actor not awarded a Cappie, will retain his/her nomination in the highest acting award category for which s/he is nominated.
A student actor is dropped from additional lesser acting categories in which s/he might have also been nominated. This calculation provides the most opportunities for the most student actors in other Categories.
A student tech is awarded a Cappie in the highest Technical Award Category for which s/he has been nominated and is the top scoring tech student as determined by the critics.
A student tech not awarded a Cappie, will retain his/her nomination in the highest technical award category for which s/he is nominated.
A student tech is dropped from additional lesser Technical Categories in which they might have also been nominated. This calculation provides the most opportunities for the most student techs in other Categories

Category rankings are described in the following chart. Each subset is determined individually for fairness.

STANDARD CAPPIES CATEGORIES RANKING CHART

Technical Categories		Performing Categories		Overall
Play	Musical	Play	Musical	Play	Musical
Stage Crew	Stage Crew	Lead Actor in a Play	Lead Actor in a Musical	Play	Musical
Stage Management	Stage Management	Lead Actress in a Play	Lead Actress in a Musical		Song
Choreography	Choreography	Supporting Actor in a Play	Supporting Actor in a Musical
	Orchestra	Supporting Actress in a Play	Supporting Actress in a Musical
Sets	Sets	Comic Actor in a Play	Comic Actor in a Musical
Costumes	Costumes	Comic Actress in a Play	Comic Actress in a Musical
Lighting	Lighting	Male Vocalist	Male Vocalist
Props	Props	Female Vocalist	Female Vocalist
Sound	Sound	Male Dancer	Male Dancer
Hair and Make-up	Hair and Make-up	Female Dancer	Female Dancer
Special Effects and or Technology	Special Effects and or Technology	Featured Actor	Featured Actor
Marketing and Publicity	Marketing and Publicity	Featured Actress	Featured Actress
		Ensemble in a Play	Ensemble in a Musical

Second, within each Category, four calculations described below will first determine the winner of the Cappie, and then the additional nominees. Each of these calculations reveals an important aspect of Critic opinion while providing a check-and-balance against the other calculations, in order to provide fairness and integrity to the result. For each Category decided by Awards Voting, C.I.S. will digitally apply the following Rules:
1. Average Evaluation Score: Each Candidate will receive an Average Evaluation Score based on the Evaluation Scores given by all Critics who evaluated the Candidate. This calculation averages the familiar Cappies scoring range of 1 (poor) to 10 (professional quality). The Critics base these scores on their post-evaluation scores given to each candidate on show day, but on voting day Critics are able edit their original scores, raise or lower them, based on their best knowledge of the entire season.
2. Nomination Score: For each show that a Critic has seen they are assigned five Nomination Points. (Example: A Critic sees 10 shows and thereby accumulates 50 Nomination Points). A critic then determines among all Candidates in all categories the Candidates they believe are deserving of a Cappie nomination. A Critic must assign all of their Nomination Points and cannot give any Candidate more than one Nomination Point. Nomination Scores for each Candidate are calculated as fractions by C.I.S., based on the following:
  1. The total number of Nomination Points the Candidate received from voting Critics in the numerator, and the number of Critics who evaluated the Candidate in the denominator.
  2. (Example: A candidate who was seen by 20 Critics and receives 8 Nomination Points will have a Nomination Score of 0.40.)
3. Awards Score: For each show that a Critic has seen they are assigned one Award Point. (Example: A Critic sees 10 shows and thereby accumulates 10 Award Points). A critic then determines among all Candidates in all categories the Candidates they believe are deserving of a Cappie Award. A Critic must assign all of their Award Points and cannot give any Candidate more than one Award Point. Awards Scores for each Candidate are calculated as fractions by C.I.S., based on the following:
  1. The number of Award Points the Candidate received from voting Critics in the numerator, and the number of Critics who evaluated the Candidate in the denominator.
  2. (Example: A candidate who was seen by 20 Critics and receives 2 Award Points will have an Award Score of 0.10.)
4. Tie-breaks: In effect, the C.I.S. takes a vote among all Critics who evaluated both of the Candidates in question.
To select the Cappie Winner and first Nominee in each category, C.I.S. applies these four calculations in the following ways:
1. If one candidate has the highest Evaluation Score and Award Score, s/he is the winner.
2. If one candidate has the highest Evaluation Score and is tied with another candidate for the highest Award Score, s/he is the winner. Likewise, if a candidate has the highest Award Score and is tied for the highest Evaluation Score, s/he is the winner.
3. If one Candidate receives the highest Average Evaluation Score and another Candidate the highest awards point score, the C.I.S. program checks Tie-break rankings. The Candidate who received the higher scores among Critics who saw both Candidates receives the Cappie Award.
  1. If Tie-breaks are unavailable or evenly split, the Award will go to the Candidate with the higher Nomination Point Score.
  2. If the decision is not resolved by the above criteria, the Award will go to the Candidate with the higher Award Point Score.
  3. If the decision is not resolved by the above criteria, the Award will go to the Candidate with the higher Average Evaluation Score.
  4. If the decision is not resolved by the above criteria, both Candidates will receive an Award.
4. After the winner(s) is determined, C.I.S. then determines the nominees. The winner(s) is a nominee. The remaining list of candidates is then sorted in two different orders, by the Evaluation Score and by the Nomination Score. C.I.S employs the following rules until the desired number of nominees is reached:
  1. If the same candidate is at the top of both lists, he is a nominee.
  2. If there are different candidates at the top of the lists, and there are at least 2 spots left for nominees, both become nominees.
  3. If there are different candidates at the top of the lists, and only one spot remains:
    1. C.I.S. first checks the tie-break rankings. If a plurality of critics preferred one candidate over another, that candidate is the nominee.
    2. If Tie-breaks are unavailable or evenly split, the Nomination will go to the Candidate with the higher Award Point Score.
    3. If the decision is not resolved by the above criteria, the Nomination will go to the Candidate with the higher Nomination Point Score.
    4. If the decision is not resolved by the above criteria, the Nomination will go to the Candidate with the higher Average Evaluation Score.
    5. If the decision is not resolved by the above criteria, both Candidates will receive an Award.
      NOTE: In section 10, c-3 and 4 were erroneously reversed. The above is now correct.

Critics Awards
1. Critic. All individual Critic Awards are determined by an objective score given all Critics who submitted the required minimum number of Reviews and participated in Awards Voting. Each Critic's score is based on:
  1. 50 percent – on the number of qualifying reviews written.
  2. 50 percent – the number of reviews published (for top media and all media.
  3. Here is how C.I.S. normalizes this information among all critics.
    1. For the critic rankings, each Region' Steering Committee selects how many critics are used to weight the scores (this is the first field on the "Current Critic Rankings" page on C.I.S). Call this number N.
    2. Each critic has a quantity-score (total number of reviews written) and a quality-score (sum of all points received for publishing reviews). C.I.S. then calculates a quantity-basis which equals the average of the top N quantity-scores, and a quality-basis which equals the average of the top N quality-scores. Then, for any given critic, their overall score equals ((quality-score / quality-basis) + (quantity-score / quantity-basis))/2.
  4. Ties are resolved by the average ranking of a Critic's selected reviews for publication (As a percentage of all qualifying reviews written)
  5. Awards granted to Critics can be determined by Region.
    1. Gender (Female and Male Critic), or
    2. Year in School, as:
      1. Two Awards: "Graduating Critic" (for those in, or recently having completed, the 12^th grade), and "Rising Critic" (9^th through 11^th grades).
      2. Three Awards: "Graduating Critic," "Returning Critic," and "Underclass Critic" (9^th and 10^th grades), or
      3. Four Awards: "Graduating Critic" (12^th grade), "Junior Critic" (11^th grade), "Sophomore Critic" (10^th grade), and "Freshman Critic" (9^th grade)
2. Critics Team. This award is based on the performance of the six highest-scoring Critics from a Participating School, including Regional Team Critics. To be eligible for inclusion:
  1. Each Critic of the Critics Team must have reviewed the required minimum number of shows and participated in Awards Voting
  2. The top six scoring Critics for each Participating School will be determined using the method described for individual Critic above, except a critic team's quality and quantity scores are the sum of each over the top K critics, where K is also chosen by the Region's Steering Committee.
  3. Ties will be resolved by comparing the scores of the highest-scoring individual Critics, and (if necessary) the next highest-scoring Critics, until a determination can be made.
3. Voting Results for all except the Critics Categories will be displayed on the C.I.S. Trustee Awards Voting site.
4. For Critics Categories, the Trustee will consult with the Program Director.
  1. The Program Director will determine Awards and Nominations by applying the Rules to the Critics data on C.I.S. as described above.
  2. For the Critics Team award, the Trustee will identify the six highest-scoring Critics from that Participating School, including any who may have been assigned to a Regional Team, who will be named as Nominees.
Trustee(s)
1. The Trustee will review the names of all Nominees in tech (non-performing) Categories to identify any individual's name that appears twice.
2. The Trustee will search for and identify any Nominee whose name may have been spelled differently on different ballots, and will correct this misspelling, and recalculate results.
3. The Trustee will confirm that Award winners and Nominees do not receive multiple Awards and/or Nominations, except as allowed under the Rules for Award eligibility.
4. Within 24 hours after the final Critic has voted:
  1. The Trustee(s) will determine the Critics Nominations and Awards, pending certification by the Auditor.
  2. The Trustee(s) will confirm those results with the Director (or designee).
5. Within 48 hours after the last Critic has voted, the Trustee(s) will present the results to the Auditor.
6. Prior to public announcement of Nominees on the Program Pages of the Web Site, the Trustee(s) will confirm the accuracy of nominee lists to be posted on the www.cappies.com Web Site or distributed to Participating Media.
7. Prior to the presentation of Awards at a Gala or Ceremony, the Trustee(s) will confirm the accuracy of the Award envelopes, and of any lists of Award Winners for post-Gala distribution to the media.
Auditor(s): The Auditor will conduct an Audit and Certification of the Voting Results.
1. During the Audit, an Auditor will learn Award Voting Rules, including decision Rules for all Nominations and Awards, to the extent necessary to conduct an audit.
2. The Auditor will evaluate the initial results in the presence of the Trustee(s), who will advise the Auditor of the applicable Rules and C.I.S. Voting Procedures.
3. The Auditor will certify the results as accurate, absent of irregularities, and consistent with the Rules and C.I.S. Voting Procedures, or
4. Postpone Certification, pending immediate consultation with, and guidance from, the Director or his designee.
5. The Director will confirm that the Rules have been applied correctly, or will determine what changes will be made in the Nominations and Awards.
6. After the Director's decisions have been applied, the Auditor will certify the results.
7. The auditor(s) used at the end of voting must be independent from Cappies, Inc. and each chapter's votes MUST be audited and then communicated to Cappies Inc. before release to press, schools, students, etc.
8. Any difference between initial, revised, and final Voting Results, and the process by which Voting Results are certified, including any rejection of Critic Ballots, will remain confidential.
9. Within 24 hours after the results are certified, the Trustee(s) will forward the results to the Webmaster.
Awards Voting Appeals. Any person may appeal any results of Awards Voting. The appeal will be made to the Steering Committee.
1. For any appeal involving Nominations, the appeal will be made, in an email to the Program Chair, not later than 3 days after Nominations are announced.
2. For any appeal involving Awards, the appeal will be made, in an email to the Program Chair, not later than 7 days after Awards have been announced.
3. The Program Chair will immediately notify the Steering Committee Chair that an appeal has been made.
4. A person making an appeal may not see, or authorize any person not on the Steering Committee to see, the results of Awards Voting.
5. In case of an appeal, the Steering Committee will:
  1. Review the results to identify whether the Rules have been correctly applied.
  2. Maintain confidentiality of Awards Voting, by limiting access to voting results to the Trustee(s), Auditor(s), and Steering Committee members only.
  3. Make a finding, by majority vote, whether the Rules have been correctly applied, and a preliminary decision about whether any changes should be made in the results.
  4. For any appeal involving Nominations, this Steering Committee action will be taken not later than 3 days before Awards are scheduled to be announced.
  5. For any appeal involving Awards, this Steering Committee action will be taken not later than 7 days after the appeal has been made.
  6. Immediately notify the Chair, who will ask the Governing Board to review the finding and preliminary decision of the Steering Committee.
    1. The Governing Board will review the finding of the Steering Committee to confirm that it is correct.
    2. By a two-thirds vote, the Governing Board may overturn the preliminary decision of the Steering Committee.
    3. For any appeal involving Nominations, the Governing Board decision will be made not later than 24 hours before Awards are scheduled to be announced.
6. For any appeal involving Awards, the Governing Board decision will be made not later than 7 days after the appeal has been made.The decision of the Governing Board is final, and is not appealable.

Nominations

Nominations will be named in each Award Category for which there are any eligible Candidates.
The Steering Committee will determine the maximum number of Nominees per Category, which will be not less than 3 nor more than 5.
A Steering Committee will set minimum Mean Evaluation Score for a Nomination, which will be not less than 3.5 nor more than 6.0.
As long as each Nominee meets the minimum Mean Evaluation Score:
1. If there are fewer Critics' Choices than the maximum permissible number of Nominees, all Critics' Choices will be nominated.
2. If there is only one Nominee in an Awards Category, that Nominee will receive the Award.
Nominees will be announced, on the Program Pages of the Web Site, within 48 hours after Awards Voting.
If an error is discovered after a Nominee is announced:
1. Any Candidate who should have been nominated will be named as an additional Nominee.
2. Any person who has been announced as a Nominee will remain a Nominee, unless that person received multiple Nominations in error, in which case the Steering Committee may decide to remove one of that person's Nominations.
Nominees will be individually recognized in a Gala or Ceremony.

Commendations

A Steering Committee will decide whether to include Commendations in a Program.
Commendations will honor students for outstanding achievements in high school theater, during that Program Year, or over the course of many years.
The Program Director will set a date by which Commendations will be received.
1. Commendations will be named soon after Nominations are announced, and before the Gala or Ceremony.
2. If the advisor does not email a list of Commendees to the Program Director within a time limit set by the Program Director, there will be no Commendees from that Participating School in the current Program Year.
Commendations may be awarded to as many as four theater students from each Participating School.
1. The Advisor will determine Commendees after consulting with the Show Director (if the Advisor is not the Show Director).
2. The advisor may select Commendees for any reason, including work done in shows that were not Cappies Shows.
3. Within 48 hours after Cappies Nominations are announced, an Advisor will email a list of Commendees to the Program Director.
4. The Advisor will be encouraged, but not required, to name, as Commendees, students who are not Nominees.
5. All Commendees must be students at the Participating School, in grades 9 through 12, during the Program Year.
6. The Advisor may select fewer than four Commendees.
7. The Advisor may decline to select Commendees.
Commendations will be presented to Critics Teams whose rankings fall just below those of the Teams who received Nominations.
1. The number of Critic Team Commendations will be the same as the number of Critic Team Nominations.
2. Critics Team Commendees will be recognized in the same manner as other Commendees.
The Steering Committee will decide the recognition to be given Commendees.

Award Items

If a Program includes Awards, the Program will present Commendations, Nominations, and Awards with Cappies-logo Items, which may include (in ascending order of Awards rank):
1. Commendee Certificates
2. Nominee Certificates.
3. Bronze-finish medallions.
4. Gold-finish medallions.
5. Star trophies.
6. Star cascade trophies.
Items may be purchased from any supplier, subject to conditions set by the Governing Board.
The Program may purchase Award Items in any combination, except:
1. All Commendees will receive the same Items.
2. All Nominees will receive the same Award Items, which will be higher-ranking than the Commendation Items, unless Commendees and Nominees are all given Certificates.
3. All ("Cappie") Award Winners will receive the same Items, which will be higher-ranking than the Nomination Items, except Award Winners in the Critics Team, Play, and Musical Categories may receive Items that are higher ranking than those received by Award Winners in other Categories.
The Program will provide sufficient numbers of Items to recognize all Nominees, including:
1. Up to six Award Items for a Critics Team.
2. Up to four Award Items for named Nominees in any other Category.
3. Up to five Award Items for a group of unnamed Nominees in the Orchestra, Ensemble, or Song categories, but not more than the number of persons in the Orchestra or Ensemble, or the number of featured vocalists in a Song.
4. Five Award Items for the cast and crew of a Nominated Play or Musical.
The Program will purchase only one Item for each Award Winner, regardless of Category or group size.
At the discretion of a local chapter, a participating school may purchase additional Award Items, for group Nominees, and for multiple-person and group Award Winners. Duplicate Awards may not be purchased for Play, Musical or Critics Team.
The Program Director will distribute Award Items to:
1. Commendees and Nominees, at any time between the announcement of Nominations and the start of the Gala or Ceremony.
2. Award Winners, during the Gala or Ceremony.

Gala or Ceremony

Awards will be presented at an Awards Event that will be entitled and described as a "Cappies Gala" or "Cappies Awards Ceremony".
1. A "Cappies Gala" will be formal, with entertainment.
2. A "Cappies Awards Ceremony" will be informal, and/or without entertainment.
No event name, other than "Cappies", will be attached to a Gala or Ceremony.
1. An Award will be called a "Cappie", with no other name attached.
2. The front cover of the event program will include the Cappies name and logo, and may include the name and/or logo of the Venue, as the location (but not as the "presenter") of the Awards event.
3. The names and/or logos of any other organizations or individuals may appear only on the inside, back cover, and/or interior printed materials of the event program, and may be described as "sponsors" but not as "presenters".
The Steering Committee will oversee a Gala or Ceremony, and will be responsible for its content.
1. The Steering Committee will select one or more producers, who may be joined by one or more producers representing the Venue.
2. The producer(s) selected by the Steering Committee will select the script writer(s), director(s), and emcee(s).
A Steering Committee will select an appropriate Venue for the Cappies Gala.
1. The Program may enter into any agreement with the Venue that does not conflict with any Rule.
2. If the Venue sets any condition that conflict with any Rule, the Steering Committee will seek approval from the Governing Board for a waiver of the Rule prior to signing an agreement that includes that condition.
3. A Program may obtain insurance for a Cappies Gala, if this is a condition set by the Venue.
A Gala or Ceremony will present each "Cappie" award individually.
A Gala or Ceremony will involve Critics, where feasible, as ushers, handlers of envelopes and trophies, and (optional) as award presenters.
A Gala will emphasize student talent, with a substantial portion of the entertainment based on Nominations and/or Critics' Choices from Cappies Shows.
1. A Steering Committee may elect to invite each Cappies Show which received a Nomination in the Song and/or Musical Categories to present the nominated song or Critics' Choice song from the nominated Musical, and each Cappies Show which received a Nomination in the Play Category to present a brief scene (recommended for Programs with twelve or more Participating Schools).
2. At the start of the Program Year, a Program's Steering Committee may set an alternative policy of allowing Show Directors from Participating Schools with a Cappies Show that has received a nomination for Musical to select alternative songs for performance at a Gala or Ceremony, but only if:
  1. Required by compelling circumstances.
  2. The Cappies Show that received a Nomination for Musical has also received a Nomination for Song, in which case the nominated Song may not be replaced.
3. Shortly before the Gala, another student from the Nominee's school will be designated to accept an award for the Nominee, if one is given.
4. If no other student is present from that Nominee's school, a Critic from another school, preferably a Critic seated in the Nominee's section who
5. Alternatively (for a small Program), a Steering Committee may elect to invite each Participating School to perform either its Critics' Choice Song or a brief Scene from its Play.
6. When a Song or Scene from a Cappies Show is performed in a Gala or Ceremony, or in any opening or closing number, and if admission is charged at the Gala, and unless the Song or Scene is a parody under the "fair use" exception to the copyright laws, an attempt will be made to obtain permission for each Song or Scene from the lawful owner of rights to that Song or Play.
A Gala or Ceremony will include:
1. Recognition of Critics.
2. Recognition of Mentors and Show Directors.
A Gala will include:
1. Opening and closing numbers (which may be, but is not required to be, the parody numbers "Come On, Get Cappies," and "One," provided by The Cappies).
2. Procession of Nominees.
3. Summary of the year's Cappies Shows, by video or other means.
A Gala or Ceremony will have award presenters who may include:
1. Office holders.
2. School administrators.
3. Theater professionals, media personalities, and other locally prominent persons.
4. Award Winners from prior Program Years.
5. Steering Committee Members.
6. Critics.
7. Other persons who have provided service to the Cappies.
At a Gala, Awards will be presented only to persons who are, or who could be, eligible for Cappie Awards.
1. Awards may be accepted onstage only by students in grades 9 to 12.
2. No student in grades 8 or below, and no adult, including a director or performer in a show receiving an award, may go onstage at a Cappies Gala, alone or as part of a group, to receive a Cappie award.
3. Shortly before a Cappies Gala, a list will be made of Nominees who are not present at the Gala.
4. For any Nominee who is not present at a Cappies Gala:
  1. Shortly before the Gala, another student from the Nominee's school will be designated to accept an award for the Nominee, if one is given.
  2. If no other student is present from that Nominee's school, a Critic from another school, preferably a Critic seated in the Nominee's section who reviewed the Nominee's Cappies Show, will be designated to accept an award for the Nominee, if one is given.
A Gala or Ceremony will not be a forum for promotion of commercial enterprises or non-profit organizations other than the Cappies.
1. Presenter introductions and comments will not include any promotional statements, beyond the stating of the name of the corporation or organization and a description of its relationships to the Cappies.
2. No Award will be presented at a Gala or Ceremony, unless the winner is selected by Critics or through other procedures set forth in these Rules.
3. This Rule may be waived or modified only with advance permission from the Governing Board.
Prior to the Awards event, information about Cappie winners will remain confidential.
Not later than 24 hours following a Gala or Ceremony, the Program Director will post Cappie winners on the Program's web page.

Finances

The Program Treasurer will:
1. Obtain an Employer Identification Number from the U.S. Internal Revenue Service, under the proposed regional Cappies name, prior to the Charter Application.
2. Create a Program Checking Account at a local bank, under the regional Cappies name, and will:
  1. Deposit into the Program Checking Account all School Participation Fees, Ticket Receipts, and Donations that do not qualify the donor for a charitable tax deduction.
  2. Pay from the Program Checking Account all Program expenses, except for those the Program Treasurer will request, and the National Treasurer will deem appropriate, for payment.
3. Maintain any required financial and/or corporate documents and records.
4. Provide the Governing Board with access, upon request, to any Program documents and/or records.
The Program Treasurer will receive revenues, including:
1. School Participation Fees, which will be:
  1. Set by the Steering Committee.
  2. Low enough to be broadly affordable by Participating Schools, and high enough to produce revenues sufficient to cover the anticipated expenses.
  3. Not less than $25, nor more than $300, for each Participating School, without special approval from the Governing Board.
    1. Different fees may be charged for different Extents of Participation, at the discretion of the Steering Committee.
    2. Participation may be offered at a reduced Fee, or no Fee, to selected Participating Schools, at the discretion of the Steering Committee.
2. Ticket Receipts for Cappies Galas or Ceremonies, which will be:
3. At a Ticket Price, set by the Steering Committee, set at a level that is expected to be sufficient to cover the anticipated expenses of a Gala or Ceremony.
4. Donations, which will be:
  1. Collected, deposited, and disbursed by the Program Treasurer, for any donations that do not qualify the donor for a charitable tax deduction.
  2. Collected and deposited in a Program Donation Account, by the National Treasurer (in the name of "The Cappies"), for any donations not less than $250 that may qualify the donor for a charitable tax deduction.
The Program Treasurer will make expenditures, including:
1. Payment of Charter Fee
2. Administration of the Program, as requested by the Program Director, including the cost of:
  1. Program materials and their reproduction.
  2. Telephone and other communications.
  3. Postage and delivery charges.
  4. Transportation, only outside the geographic area of the Program, as requested by the Director.
  5. Fees or honoraria, except to any Steering Committee Members, who will be unpaid volunteers.
  6. Any other reasonable expenses the Program Director deems necessary.
3. Production of a Gala or Ceremony, including:
  1. Costs of Gala planning, promotion, and performance.
  2. Cost of Award Items.
  3. Fees or honoraria.
  4. Any contributions to expenses incurred by the Director, and/or paid by the National Treasurer, in assisting the Program, that the Steering Committee may wish to provide.
For any Program that has not yet been approved by the U.S. Internal Revenue Service for educational or charitable status under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, the Program Treasurer may request that the National Treasurer create a Program Donation Account, to receive deposits and make expenditures from, any donations collected by the Program that may qualify the donor for a charitable tax deduction.
1. Deposits in any Program Donation Account will be made, and funds held, in the name of "The Cappies, Inc."
2. No single donation, or expenditure, for this purpose may be less than $250.
3. The Program Treasurer will be responsible for maintaining separate records of the Program's deposits and/or expenditures of this kind.
The Cappies will not be responsible for:
1. Any financial obligations of a Program, including those that may result from any misfeasance or negligence by the Program Treasurer or any other Member of the Steering Committee.
2. Any insurance coverage, in the absence of written notification of the existence and extent of any such coverage.
3. Any torts, acts of negligence, violations of copyright law, or other legally actionable behavior by the Program, or by any of its officers, participants, or other volunteers.
Consistent with the laws for, and usual procedures of, a volunteer-led organization, The Cappies, Inc., will not provide insurance for any Program.
1. An unpaid official in any Program will be presumed to fit within the provisions of the federal Volunteer Protection Act, a law that partially immunizes individual volunteer workers for non-profit organizations from liability for acts of negligence in the course of their volunteer work.
2. For the purpose of this act, a "volunteer" is defined as an individual performing service for a non-profit organization without compensation in excess of $500 per year (other than reimbursement for expenses).
3. The immunity granted under this act is for ordinary negligence and does not cover willful or criminal conduct, gross negligence, reckless misconduct, or conscious flagrant indifference to the rights or safety of the individual.
4. The Act does not offer liability protection when damage results from operation of a motor vehicle (for which a driver's customary insurance will apply.)

Cappies International Programs

This program is suspended indefinitely.

In any Program Year, the Governing Board may invite all Programs, or selected Programs, to participate in
1. Cappies International Theater (C.I.T.)
2. Cappies International Newsroom (C.I.N.)
The Governing Board will determine the extent of each Program's participation.
1. The Governing Board will set and apply eligibility criteria for determining Selectees.
2. The Governing Board may make special exceptions for individual Selectees, for any
Specific aspects of C.I.T. or C.I.N. may vary in each Program Year, including:
1. Application materials.
2. Fees and other requirements.
3. Arrival and departure dates.
4. The location and dates of performances and other events.
5. The content of performances.
Participation is optional for any Program, and for any Selectee.

Program Modifications

No Rule may be changed by a Program without advance permission from The Cappies.
1. A Steering Committee may request a special Rule exemption or modification for a Program, by special application to the Director, stating the reasons for the request, and will follow all published Rules while the request is pending.
2. If the Governing Board grants any exemption or modification, it will be for the current Program Year only.
Cappies Information Services (C.I.S.) Procedures may be amended at any time, for any reason, with notification whether to notify Program Directors left to the discretion of the Director.

Rule Interpretations and Amendments

The Governing Board will interpret all Rules.
1. Initial Rules interpretations will be made by the Director.
2. A Program Director will direct Rules inquiries to the Director.
3. A Steering Committee may appeal any Rules interpretation, through an email by the Program Chair to the Chair.
By two-thirds vote, the Governing Board may amend these Rules at any time.
1. All Rules are subject to change between June 15 and August 15 of the new Program Year.
2. At any time, the Governing Board may change any Rule whose application is contingent on new C.I.S. software.
3. When any Rule is amended, the Director will inform all Program Directors.
The Governing Board will not amend any Rules directly pertaining to the Awards process, during a Program Year, in any way that might alter the fairness of that process.

After October 1, except in case of clear necessity, the Governing Board will not change any Rule pertaining to Award eligibility, or Critics' Voting eligibility, for the remainder of the Program Year.
After May 1, except in case of necessity, the Governing Board will not change any Rule pertaining to the Voting process, for the remainder of the Program Year.
After these dates, any such Rule changes directly pertaining to the Awards process will require a unanimous vote from the Governing Board

The Cappies reserves the right to review play content to maintain the integrity of the program, and therefore supports the right for a chapter's steering committee to decline a show that is to be reviewed by the critics.

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Cappies Rules