Program Administration

 

Early in the Fall semester, Casa Mañana contacts the theatre departments of Tarrant County's public and private schools and invites them to participate in the program.  If the school is planning to produce a musical and is interested in participating, they are asked to complete an application and enroll in the awards program.

 

At the same time, Casa Mañana actively recruits a panel of judges who will evaluate each school's production.   This panel consists of local theatre professionals, critics and other VIPs.

 

Once selected, the judges meet for an orientation and to select the shows they would be able to attend based upon their personal schedules and the schedules of the performances.

 

Each school’s production is then evaluated by a minimum of 3 judges. The judges complete scoring and written critique sheets, which are returned to Casa Mañana after each performance. These scores are used in the final stages of judging, (the written critiques are also sent to the respective schools after the ceremony, so the evaluations can benefit each theatre program’s future efforts.)

 

On a specific date, all of the judges meet to view excerpts of the musicals on tape.  Each tape consists of five minutes of the performances’ best material and one minute of each of the actors or actresses that are nominated for an award.  The panel uses these videotapes, in conjunction with the nominations, scores, and advice of the judges who actually see each musical, to complete their final score sheets.

 

The results are then tabulated by the accounting firm of Weaver & Tidwell and the winners are not revealed until the night of the Awards Ceremony in the spring.