Jamie Bailey
Drama/The Bellville Playmakers Coordinator
Email: jbailey@bellvillebrahmas.org

The Bellville Playmakers gives students opportunities to participate in live theatre and develop skills in acting, directing, stagecraft, technical production, and teamwork. Students may work onstage or behind the scenes to prepare plays, competitions, and other performances. Contact the Drama/Playmakers coordinator for information about auditions, rehearsals, performances, technical crews, and upcoming productions.

Auditions and casting announcements
Rehearsals and production preparation
Plays and public performances
One-Act Play competition
Actors, understudies, and student directors
Sets, props, costumes, lighting, and sound
Backstage and technical crews
Awards, competition results, and student accomplishments

Covering the Bellville Playmakers Beat

Start Here

Introduce yourself to Mrs. Bailey and explain that you are covering Drama and the Bellville Playmakers for the BVP Newsroom.
Ask what productions, competitions, auditions, and performances are planned for the year.
Ask how she prefers to be contacted and how far in advance interviews, rehearsal visits, and coverage should be arranged.
Request the current production calendar, including auditions, rehearsals, performances, competitions, and important deadlines.
Ask for the names of the cast, student directors, stage managers, technical crew leaders, and other students with major responsibilities.
Ask when reporters may attend rehearsals and whether permission is required before taking photographs or recording video.
Check with Mrs. Bailey and student leaders regularly for casting announcements, schedule changes, production updates, and competition results.
When you discover a possible story, submit it as a pitch before beginning full coverage unless your teacher tells you otherwise.

Your Responsibilities

Check for Playmakers updates at least once each news cycle.
Maintain contact with Mrs. Bailey and the students leading each production area.
Keep track of auditions, rehearsals, performances, competitions, and deadlines.
Look for stories involving both performers and behind-the-scenes crew members.
Pitch promising stories to the newsroom.
Arrange interviews, rehearsal visits, photography, and video coverage in advance.
Confirm names, roles, production titles, dates, locations, ticket information, and competition results before publication.
Follow up after performances and competitions to obtain results, photographs, and student reactions.

Important

Casting decisions, production plans, performance dates, and competition results may change. Do not announce a cast, production, award, or advancement until Mrs. Bailey confirms that the information is official and may be published.

Some scripts and performances are protected by licensing and copyright restrictions. Do not record or publish substantial portions of a rehearsal or performance without Mrs. Bailey’s permission. Short promotional clips and photographs may also require approval. Avoid revealing surprise scenes, endings, or other major plot details before audiences see the production.

Reporting Your Bellville Playmakers Stories

Possible Story Ideas

The Playmakers announce an upcoming play or production.
Auditions are announced or a cast list is officially released.
Students begin rehearsing for an upcoming performance.
The technical crew begins building sets, creating props, designing costumes, or preparing lighting and sound.
Students prepare for UIL One-Act Play competition.
The Playmakers advance or receive awards at a competition.
A student earns an acting, technical, or individual performance award.
A student performs a major role for the first time.
A student takes on a leadership position such as stage manager, student director, or crew leader.
An understudy steps into a role or a student takes on an unexpected responsibility.
The group performs a new, unusual, or especially challenging production.
Students overcome a technical, scheduling, or performance challenge.
The production uses an unusual set, costume, prop, lighting effect, or sound design.
The Playmakers collaborate with another class, organization, or community group.
The program welcomes new members or holds a theatre workshop.
A student or teacher receives recognition for theatre work.
The Playmakers celebrate an anniversary, milestone, or longtime participant.
Tickets go on sale or performance dates are announced.
Graduating seniors reflect on their experiences with the Playmakers.

Signs There May Be A Story

Pay attention when:

A production, audition, cast list, or performance date is officially announced.
Students begin rehearsing, constructing sets, or preparing costumes, props, lighting, or sound.
A student takes on a major role or new responsibility.
The Playmakers attempt something they have never done before.
A production presents an unusual technical or performance challenge.
Students prepare for One-Act Play competition.
The group wins, places, advances, or receives recognition.
A student earns an individual acting or technical award.
A rehearsal reveals major progress or a visible transformation of the stage.
An actor or crew member overcomes a difficult challenge.
A production involves many students, departments, or community members.
Tickets go on sale or an important performance deadline approaches.
A student must unexpectedly replace another performer or crew member.
You hear someone say, “We have never tried this before.”
The cast or crew returns from a competition with results, awards, photographs, or an interesting experience.

Questions to Ask: The 5 W's and 1 H

You will not necessarily ask every question below. Select the questions that fit your story and ask follow-up questions whenever an answer is unclear or incomplete.

Who was involved?

Which students are in the cast?
Which students work on the technical and backstage crews?
Who directs the production?
Who serves as stage manager or leads the crews?
Who designed or created the sets, costumes, props, lighting, or sound?
Were other classes, organizations, or community members involved?

What happened?

What is the title of the production?
What is the play about without revealing major spoilers?
What role or responsibility does each student have?
What makes this production unusual or challenging?
What did the students have to create, learn, or accomplish?
What happened at the competition or performance?
What awards or recognition did students receive?

When did it happen?

When were auditions held?
When did rehearsals begin?
How long have students been preparing?
When are the performances?
When was the competition held?
When is the next performance or competition?

Where did it happen?

Where are rehearsals held?
Where will the production be performed?
Where was the competition held?
Where can people purchase tickets or obtain information?
Where will the Playmakers perform or compete next?

Why does it matter?

Why was this production selected?
Why did students audition or join the crew?
Why is this role or responsibility important to the student?
Why is the production challenging?
Why should Bellville students and community members attend?
Why is this competition result significant?
What does participating in theatre teach students?

How did it happen?

How were the cast and crew selected?
How did students prepare for their roles?
How were the sets, costumes, props, lighting, and sound created?
How did students solve problems during rehearsals?
How is the production different from the original script or previous productions?
How are One-Act Play performances judged?
How can other students become involved?
How can people purchase tickets or attend the performance?

Questions for Actors

Why did you audition for this production?
What interested you about this character?
How did you prepare for the role?
What was the most difficult scene or part of the performance?
How is your character similar to or different from you?
What have you learned from playing this role?
How do you handle nervousness before performing?
What do you hope the audience takes away from the production?
What has been your favorite part of rehearsals?

Questions for Technical and Backstage Crew Members

What is your responsibility during the production?
What did you have to design, build, operate, or organize?
What has been the biggest technical challenge?
How did you solve that problem?
What must happen backstage for the performance to run properly?
What might the audience never realize about your work?
How do the different crews work together?
What happens if something goes wrong during a performance?

Questions for the Director or Coordinator

Why was this production selected?
What were you looking for during auditions?
What makes this cast or crew stand out?
What has been the greatest challenge?
How have the students developed during rehearsals?
What should audiences expect without revealing major surprises?
How does this production compare with previous years?
What comes next for the Playmakers?
How can additional students become involved?
Is there anything about the production or competition results that people might misunderstand?

People You May Need to Interview

Depending on the story, consider interviewing:

Drama/Playmakers coordinator Jamie Bailey
The student playing a leading role
Actors in supporting roles
The stage manager
Student directors or assistant directors
Set, prop, costume, lighting, and sound crew members
The student who designed or created an important production element
An understudy or student performing a role for the first time
Students competing in UIL One-Act Play
Students who received acting or technical awards
A graduating senior involved with the program
A first-year Playmakers member
Teachers, volunteers, or community partners helping with the production
Audience members after the performance, when appropriate

Do not interview only the director or leading actors. Theatre productions depend on many students, so include backstage and technical crew members whenever their work is part of the story.

What You Need to Collect

Before writing or producing the story, collect:

The complete and correctly spelled names of everyone involved
Each student’s grade level
Each student’s character, crew position, or production responsibility
The complete and correctly written title of the production
The playwright’s correctly spelled name
A brief description of the play that does not reveal major spoilers
Performance dates, times, and location
Ticket prices and purchasing information
The date rehearsals began
The names of the director, stage manager, and crew leaders
The number of students in the cast and crew
Details about sets, props, costumes, lighting, and sound
Information about unusual challenges or production choices
Official competition results and awards, when applicable
What happens next
At least one useful quote from an actor
At least one useful quote from a technical or backstage crew member
At least one useful quote from Mrs. Bailey
Photographs or video of rehearsals, set construction, costumes, or technical preparation
Approved photographs or video from the performance
Identification of everyone shown in photographs
A program, poster, cast list, rehearsal schedule, or official results sheet
Confirmation that photographs or video may be published

Before You Leave

Ask yourself:

Do I have the correct spelling of every name?
Do I have each student’s grade level and exact role or responsibility?
Do I have the correct production title and playwright?
Do I know when and where the performance will take place?
Have ticket prices and purchasing details been confirmed?
Can I explain what the production is about without revealing major spoilers?
Did I interview at least one actor?
Did I interview at least one technical or backstage crew member?
Did I speak with Mrs. Bailey or another person who can confirm the information?
Do I have strong quotes—not merely “It’s fun” or “I’m excited”?
Have competition results and awards been officially confirmed?
Do I know what happens next?
Do I have usable and approved photographs or video?
Did I identify everyone shown in my photographs?
Do I have permission to record or publish material from the production?
Did I avoid revealing major plot points, surprises, or the ending?
Is there another actor, crew member, or organizer I should interview?

The Bellville Herd

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