Faqs on Westerville South Theatre

Can I volunteer and still watch the show?

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Often, yes. Ticket scanners and most box-office volunteers finish shortly after the performance begins, while concessions and raffle volunteers generally help before curtain and again during intermission.

Some roles may require you to miss a few minutes or remain in the commons for part of the performance. Each signup will explain the timing so you can choose the role that works best for you.

Do I need theatre experience to volunteer?

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Not at all. Most volunteer roles are simple, low-pressure ways to help, and an experienced volunteer or Booster will give you instructions before your shift begins.

Choose a job that feels comfortable, ask as many questions as you need, and let us know if it is your first time. We want volunteering to be welcoming, useful, and fun—not stressful.

How can adults get involved?

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There are many ways to help support the theatre program at South, they include, but are not limited to:

Come to booster meetings, held on the third Thursday of each month
Join the Boosters through BoosterHub and watch its announcements for current opportunities
Get on the baking squad: if you like to bake, let our meal coordinator know and they will ask at different times of the year for desserts to be baked for our kiddos
Get program sponsors: at the beginning of the school year, we ask local businesses to support our program by buying ads in our program. If you know any local business owners that would be interested in advertising (and getting free tickets to shows) let our fundraising coordinator know
Help sell concessions at shows
Scan tickets or work the box office at shows
Sell 50/50 raffle tickets at shows
Help serve meals during tech and show week
Promote shows on social media
Get dinner out on dine out nights
Reach out to the booster board if you have any other skills that might be helpful

What are the CAPA Marquee Master Classes?

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Troupe 513 is part of CAPA’s Marquee program. One of the amazing perks of this program is access for the students to participate in Marquee Broadway Master Classes. When many of the touring shows come to town, a company member will teach a master class. Enrollment is at first limited to one student from each Marquee school, but then spots open up and are first come, first served to students from Marquee schools.

What are the volunteer jobs over show weekend?

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We’re going to break down the different ways to help for each of our mainstage shows.

A few weeks before show weekend, we will share the volunteer signup through BoosterHub. There are many jobs listed, and each has a different time and energy commitment. The jobs are all really low stakes. We make it fun to help, and we don’t expect anyone to be stressed about volunteering. Many hands make light work, and we’ll set you up for success!

What are troupe dues and why should my child join?

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As a reminder, troupe membership is for students.

International Thespians is the honor society that Troupe 513 is part of. Our troupe number (513) comes from when South joined International/Ohio Thespians. Most of our troupe is very active and pays dues to earn points and be a formal part of the troupe. (Joining thespians isn’t required to participate in South theatre.)

If your student wants to be an inducted thespian, they need to have paid dues.

What do the Boosters make possible?

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The Boosters help turn the theatre program’s plans into memorable productions and student experiences. Their support includes:

Show-week support: Company meals and snacks, concessions, ticket operations, raffles, and practical help that keeps a busy production running.
Student experiences: Theatremas, the ice cream social, awards, celebrations, and traditions that create a welcoming troupe community.
Access and opportunity: Scholarships, financial assistance, conference travel, and educational opportunities that help more students participate fully.
Fundraising and partnerships: Donations, sponsorships, community partnerships, and special events that keep student theatre supported and sustainable.

What happens when my kid gets cast in a main stage show?

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If your thespian was cast in one of the four mainstage productions, congratulations to them! If your kiddo wasn’t, please (PLEASE) encourage them to keep on trucking! The student-directed shows are a great way for them to get or stay involved, have a ton of fun, get more audition experience, and learn more about the whole theatre process.

For the casts of the mainstage shows, now the fun and work begin. And for the grownups, there are some housekeeping things and some communications to be aware of.

What is a dance rehersal like?

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When we arrive at dance rehearsal, we often do a quick warm-up like jumping jacks and a few stretches to get going! Wearing tennis shoes or dance shoes helps the actors learn and stay injury-free! There is a lot to learn at dance rehearsal. We learn the steps our feet will do, how our arms are to move, and also our places on the stage that can be constantly moving and changing! This is a very creative process incorporating these elements:

What is a student-directed one-act?

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A student-directed one-act is … a one-act play directed by a student. But it’s a lot more than that! These short plays are so much fun for the company and the audience! And they are a great way for thespians to get experience – maybe in a new genre of play or with castmates they haven’t worked with before. And of course it’s a great opportunity and experience for the student-directors!

What is black box theatre?

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Proscenium stage vs. Black Box

A proscenium stage is a traditional theater design that uses an architectural frame, called a proscenium arch, to separate the audience from the performers and frame the view of the stage. Our main auditorium seats 700+, but often seats are removed for the pit and in the case of Mamma Mia, an extended stage.

A black box theatre is a simple performance space, typically a square room with black walls and a flat floor.

What is Booster membership and why should I join?

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Booster membership is for the grownups! (Thespian membership is for the kids.) Our booster group is very active, having meetings once a month and doing numerous things to support Troupe 513. We also take care of concessions at main stage shows, coordinate snacks and meals for the company of main stage shows, offer fundraisers, provide programs for shows, offer scholarships to seniors, and so much more!

And to do all that, we need a large and varied membership! We need and want to hear from families of kids who enjoy all the aspects of Troupe 513! Maybe your kid only wants to be center stage, or maybe your kid only wants to create the beautiful sets, or maybe your kid wants to try it all to find their place. That’s all awesome and wonderful, and having parents/families participate in boosters with those perspectives helps our group make sure we’re supporting all the kids!

What is Fall Conference?

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Ohio Fall Conference is a one-day event that rolls five fantastic events into one. It includes the Ohio Unified Auditions and interviews, the All-Ohio Show auditions and interviews, the Thespy Competition, the Technical Theatre & Design Symposium, and the Theatre College & University Fair.

All-Ohio Auditions & Interviews

The annual All-Ohio production is one of Ohio Thespians’ most exciting opportunities. The All-Ohio production serves to bring together the best high school theatre artists throughout the state for a production experience they likely would not have in their school communities, working with a production team of professional theatre artists.

What is Giving Tuesday?

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As you might know, the Tuesday after Thanksgiving has become Giving Tuesday, where various nonprofit groups ask for donations. You might have already received some emails or letters from groups you support preparing you for Giving Tuesday.

In the past few years, Troupe 513 Theatre Boosters has asked our supporters to participate in Giving Tuesday, with great results!

How you can help: Please, before Giving Tuesday (like, today would be great ) invite friends, family, and neighbors to join our public Facebook page. This public page makes creating events and sharing posts about Giving Tuesday very easy, as all those posts can be shared much more easily than they can be from our private booster group. You can explain that the public page gives your friends, family, and neighbors an easy way to stay updated on Troupe 513 events and links to buy tickets to our wonderful shows, etc.

What is Scho Show?

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Scho Show is our annual “scholarship show” (see what we did there?). Run by our senior thespians, this show is always a lot of fun! Everyone from the producer, the director, the choreographer, the music director, and the band leaders are seniors. The troupe puts on the show in memory of Erin Mckenzie, a former troupe member. Also, all the funds raised are used for scholarships for seniors in our theatre troupe!

What is show week like?

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Things you can do to get ready for show week:

Top of the need-to-know list is information around how to enter the school for all performances! Please enter through the “Home of the Wildcats” door that faces the parking lot off Illinois Avenue. Please tell your friends and family who are coming to the show, especially those who might be used to entering off Otterbein. The nice part about entering through the new main entrance (again, that’s the one off Illinois Avenue) is that you will come into the commons, which is where we’ll be taking and selling tickets, where we’ll be selling candy, snacks, shoutouts before the show and during intermission, and where the company will greet fans, friends, and family after the show.
Buy your tickets! You can go to the link OR you can check out the Hometown Ticketing app! bit.ly/WSHStix
Share about the show! Please post about the show on your various social media accounts, in any groups you’re a part of, with friends, family, neighbors, and co-workers! And when you see another person post about the show, please like and comment! Feel free to use any of the images we have shared on the facebook page.
Sign up to help during show week
Encourage your kiddo to hydrate and get sleep. Speaking of hydrate there is usually a big water jug available on show days backstage so encourage them to bring a reusable water bottle.
There will be a company party (usually, but not always, Friday night)
To buy tickets at the door, we accept cash or you can use your credit card to buy online. But to avoid those pesky fees, bring cash.
For concessions, we accept cash or a contactless credit card. Theatre candy is $3; regular-size candy and water is $2; chips are $1.
We’ll also be selling “split the pot” or 50/50 raffle tickets, so bring some cash to support Troupe 513 boosters. The winner splits the pot with the boosters.
We’ll be selling candy grams for company members too. A candy gram can be purchased for $1, or you can add a shoutout to any purchased candy at the above price (no added cost).
Show week is such an exciting time! The kids (and adults) have worked so hard, and now all that hard work pays off with terrific shows! Keep sharing the tickets and show information so we can pack the house! See you there!

What is state thespian conference?

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Ohio is a state chapter of the Educational Theatre Association. Learn more about its state chapter program.

Some years the conference is in central Ohio. When it is not in central Ohio we stay in a hotel. Conference starts at 5p on Friday and goes until around noon on Sunday.

Let’s start with Rubber ducks. Rubber ducks are sold at conference. The sale of rubber ducks is a way for the STOs to raise money for Thespian scholarships. Some kids get really into duck buying and end up getting a lot. Some kids get one or two, and then others don’t buy any.

What is tech week or a tech practice?

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Tech week is Seth’s favorite week of the show as a tech director because this is the week where the cast and crew merge and start to slowly piece everything together and work creatively as one to make a show feel like a show.

At South we tend to break down the week into various cue-to-cue days where we go moment by moment (or from cue to cue) through the show and work out every single small moment as a team and a company.

What is the Black History Month (BHM) show?

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The BHM show is written, choreographed, directed, and performed by students. The BHM show is put on each year by a club, and that club is separate from Troupe 513 and from our boosters. It’s a fantastic show, and we are so glad to support the BHM company!

What is the CAPA Marquee Program?

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The CAPA Marquee program is part of the Columbus Association for the Performing Arts (CAPA). Because CAPA is a member of the Broadway League, Columbus is an official Regional Awards Program of The Jimmy Awards®/National High School Musical Theatre Awards®. CAPA sponsors the prestigious national program for high school musical theatre students through its local awards program—the CAPA Marquee Awards.

To be considered for participation in the CAPA Marquee Awards, schools must submit an online application and present a full-length musical from a list of Jimmy® Awards-approved productions between mid October – mid April (exact dates vary each year)..

What is the company party?

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At some point during the run of every Main Stage show, we have a company party for everyone involved in the production—performers, technicians, crew members, and student leaders alike.

Who is invited? Everyone involved in the show, so the cast, the run crew, the build crew, the paint crew … anyone! If you filled out a one-stop shop for the show, your kid should feel welcome at and included in the company party. (If your kid hesitates and says, “Oh, well, I didn’t do much,” or “I don’t know many people,” please encourage them to come! These parties are a lot of fun, and it’s really where the kids get to hang out and chill in a way different than during rehearsals.) We do ask that kids don’t bring guests, even if it’s a really fun Troupe 513 member. Company from that show only.

What is the One Stop Shop?

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For each mainstage production, Boosters will send out a link to the One Stop Shop for that show. This form is very important, so please fill it out for your thespian/s as soon as possible, whether they are in the cast, working on sets, lighting the show, or doing any of the dozens of very important jobs that get these shows on stage!

Adults will receive the link (through our various communication channels, but you only need to fill it out once) after the cast and crew are announced. The One Stop Shop form is the way we 1) get contact information, 2) collect the fees, 3) get T-shirt sizes, and 4) get ads, among other things.

What is Theatremas?

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Theatremas is a fun way for our troupe members to spend time together outside a show. It brings together ALL the troupe kids, so please encourage your thespian to join the fun!

The kids gather in the auditorium. There will be some kind of treat and a white elephant gift exchange.

To be part of the gift exchange where kids can “steal” presents from each other, students just need to bring in a gift that costs $10 max! If a student needs help getting a gift, they should please talk to Wolfe. He always has extras, but he’ll want to make sure everyone is covered.

What is Winter Cabaret?

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Winter Cabaret is South Troupe 513’s annual variety show put on by the students. Any student can sign up for any kind of performance they want to give – some do short skits, some sing, some dance, some play instruments, some do it all! It’s a really fun evening, and you’ll see kids push themselves in doing things they don’t usually do. As Wolfe tells us, “It’s a chance for students to perform on stage, gain confidence and perform for one another.”

Who are the other adults that work with the troupe (besides Wolfe)?

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Troupe 513 is blessed to have the most fabulous director in Wolfe, and he’d be the first to tell you he can’t do it alone. He has surrounded himself with the very best with his music director, tech directors, choreographer, and costume designer. (Sometimes schedules don’t work out, and other wonderful people step in, but for the most part, these are the folks you’ll see around Troupe 513 productions.)

Tyler Domer – music director and pit conductor

Who can I contact?

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Matt Wolfe

wolfem@westerville.k12.oh.us

Wolfe is our director and is a great resource

Seth Sprang

sethsprang@gmail.com

Seth is one of our tech directors and is a great resource for tech/crew questions

Katie Smith

smithk@westerville.k12.oh.us

Katie is our costume director. She is a great resource if you have a question about costumes. Katie is also the attendance clerk at South.

Booster email

troupe513boosters@gmail.com

This is the general booster email that you can use for booster type questions, or if you aren’t sure who to ask